Always
by OfEmbersandWolves
Summary: Ladybug and Chat Noir have always been around. Tikki and Plagg have seen some of the worthiest heroes rise and fall, and even go against the odds and fall in love. Oneshots and short stories of the most notable Chat Noirs and Ladybugs throughout time.
1. The Prehistoric Era

**Well hey there! I'm here with my debut in the Miraculous Ladybug fandom, and my debut as an author in general. I told myself I wouldn't post Thisbe yet, but it's summer now and I got excited! So I'll keep most of my rambling for the end of the chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not have the immense joy of owning Miraculous Ladybug.**

Time is a thing that goes on forever. It will on long after we have all passed, stretching on infinitely. It never really began, either. It has just existed. Humans, however, are temporary creatures. They have a day where they come into existence. They also have an expiration date. Or, rather, a death date.

So while the Ladybug and Chat Noir have always existed, they have not always been Marinette and Adrien. Their looks have changed, their personalities, who they are as a person. Time has been kind to them on some occasions, but very cruel on others. But they have always existed. For where there is one, the other will soon follow.

o~O~o

 **The Prehistoric Era**

"So Tikki, what was the first Ladybug like?" Marinette looked over at Tikki from her desk. She'd been doing her homework as quickly as she could, but now that she was done she wanted to talk to her new kwami.

Tikki flitted over so she hovered above Marinette's computer. "The very first Ladybug?"

Marinette nodded. "Yeah, the very first one. Tell me the story of how Ladybugs and Chat Noirs all started.

Tikki sat on the computer, knowing the story would take a while. "Well, I don't think the story of the _very first_ Ladybug and Chat Noir is quite what you expect. Would you like to hear it anyway?"

"Of course, Tikki," Marinette trained her bluebell eyes on Tikki. "I'd love to hear it!"

"Well okay then!" Tiki chirped. "A very, very long time ago, there was a girl born to two loving parents..."

o~O~o

Ladybugs didn't always begin strong. In fact, with the first Ladybug, her parents were worried for her, since she seemed so weak. Her skin was pale unlike their strong, tanned skin. Her arms were frail, unused to working for food every day. Her hair was red, and it reminded them of the fire that kept them all warm. When she opened her eyes, they were as blue as the sky. As the months passed they would become green like the grass she loved to play in.

She began to cry as her parents stared at her in wonder. Her mother, still in pain, held her close to her chest. Her father touched a strand of hair that resembled his own red hair. Their daughter would grow to be strong just like them.

The mother smiled soothingly at her baby. Her hand met her daughters, the tiny fingers instinctively grabbing her mother's warm hand in the chilly afternoon. The mother said something else that would be unintelligible to us now. But if we had been there and understood it, the translation would have been, "My little Ladybug."

o~O~o

Many years passed and Ladybug was around the age of thirteen. Back then, they didn't know how long each other was in years. They knew that their little Ladybug was growing though because she had just reached her first blood. It was an important time for her as a woman, but she still saw herself as a girl. She hated all of the attention she was getting.

So Ladybug decided to take a break. She left the cave that day, going out into the meadows. There wasn't often a lot of food in the area, her parents went out with some of the neighbors early in the day to search the faraway places for food. Running into a creature that could eat her wasn't likely.

Naturally, her luck had her running away from some huge _thing_ not long after she left the cave. The sun had hardly moved at all; it was still close to midday. Ladybug prayed that the sun god would save her. Or maybe the fire god. Really anyone at all would be fine, because _oh gods it teeth were the size of her head!_

Her breathing was ragged due to her tiring out. She was a female, and they didn't have to go out hunting. Her mother chose to, as it kept her with her beloved husband for more of the day.

A scream ripped its way out of her throat as she felt one of its claws rip into the back of her calf. Tears stung her green eyes. She wasn't ready to die, not like this!

Her feet continued to pound into the grassy meadow, her eyes frantically searching for a getaway point. She looked over her right shoulder and immediately regretted it. The _thing_ was closer than ever, and her adrenaline had given her a much-needed boost, but how far would that really get her?

She was so distracted that she didn't even notice that something else was coming up beside her until it rammed into her side. Ladybug tumbled head over heels through the field, her momentum keeping her going. She finally came to a stop, dazed and confused. What had shoved her over like that? And where did the beast go? A shadow landed on her legs. Terrified, she flinched and looked up.

The black hair of her savior seemed to gleam in the sunlight. The light made it seem lighter than it probably was, but she was still positive that his hair was black. She couldn't quite see the color of his eyes, as the sunlight was shining directly into her own eyes. He looked lean, but still quite muscular. And _oh gods was he handsome._ All of his features seemed to perfectly fit his face. She especially loved how white his teeth were! That was almost impossible to her. Her own parents had teeth that were yellowed and broken, and even hers weren't that beautiful. But they gleamed in the sunlight, contrasting against the black stubble on his jaw.

He was the most beautiful boy that Ladybug had ever seen.

o~O~o

Chat Noir was confused by this girl. Sure, he had saved her from the Saber Tooth Tiger, but why was she still _staring a_ t him? It made him kind of uncomfortable, and her hair hurt his eyes with how it was shining in the sunlight.

"Are you okay?" he asked finally.

She finally seemed to snap out of it. "Yes, d-did you kill the thing?"

He grinned the sneaky grin of a cat. "I sure hope I did. He got a good scratch on me, right here," he showed her a cut on his left side. It was bleeding, but not heavily. "So in return, I nailed him right in the eye. I think my blade went all the way through his skull, so he's probably dead."

The girl nodded, still shaking slightly. "T-thank you…"

He extended a hand to help her up. "It's no problem, really. I'm Chat Noir. What's your name?"

"I'm Ladybug," she grabbed his hand and stood up. "It's very nice to meet you, though I wish we had met in better circumstances."

The fated pair headed back to the beast. It had indeed been stabbed in the eye, and the sharp bone of the blade could be seen sticking out the back of its head. It lay in a pool of its own blood, but the blood on its claws belonged to a certain boy with black hair.

Chat Noir slowly reached a hand out to retrieve his blade from the head of the creature. It made a noise that sickened both of them, and he made a face as he dragged it on the ground to get the blood off.

The first encounter of Ladybug and Chat Noir was a success. They had a bond now that no one could break. But really, it all worked out in the end for them.

o~O~o

Ladybug was 18 now. Her birthday.

Her looks had matured over the years. Her red hair had been cut recently so that it brushed the tops of her shoulders in loose waves. The ends were a bit jagged, but she liked the look. It was hard to maintain her hair, anyway. It often got tangled and she had to rip through several knots with her fingers. Her face had grown thinner and more mature. Her green eyes had a different light to them also. Her once smooth and pale skin was now dark, and had several small scars scattered across it.

But all of that just made her all the more beautiful to Chat Noir.

The two of them had found a good friend in each other ever since he saved her on that fateful day. She found him to be a good friend, and he found her to be…

"Really, really pretty…" he murmured to himself, stroking her hair.

"Huh?" Her wide green eyes looked up at him curiously. She had never seen him quite in that way. She could sometimes seem strangely quiet around him, but he understood that she just got that way sometimes. He didn't understand, but he was really just glad that they were good friends. (If only they were a bit more…)

He brushed a strand away from her face. "Nothing, Ladybug. I'm just talking to myself."

She smiled up at him, and he offered a gentle smile in return. This was the only thing he would lie to her about. Just so he could spare her feelings. He didn't want to force her into anything. Chat Noir could never do that to his Ladybug. He loved her so much.

He finally stood up, extending an arm for her to get up as well. She did so and he briefly relished the feel of her hand in his and how well it seemed to fit before letting her go.

She smiled at him, her pink lips so lovely in the sunlight. "I'd better go get ready for tonight," she said, takin a step back. He hadn't realized how close they were. "I'll see you later, Chat."

Ladybug began to turn away, then hesitated. She turned back and stepped closer again. He watched as she got up on her tiptoes and brushed her lips across his cheek.

"Um-bye, Chat," she waved, backing away, "see you tonight!"

He waved back, his other hand reaching up to hold his cheek.

o~O~o

Ladybug sat on the floor of the cave her family called home. It was nothing special at all, just someplace that she could call home. After changing into a different set of clothes, she had just sat down where she slept. A couple animal skins laid out for her to lay on with a couple more to cover up with.

 _Why would I do that? Kissing him on the cheek was dumb. He obviously looked flustered and uncomfortable afterwards... I just messed everything up!_ Ladybug flopped backwards onto the bed. "My life is a disaster," she groaned.

Her mom entered the room. "Honey, don't forget that tonight is the last night you're allowed to sleep at home. You're 18 now, it's time for you to find your own place in this world." Her mother sat down beside her.

"I know, mom," Ladybug leaned her head on her mother's shoulder. "And like I told you, I'm leaving this area for a little while. Chat and I-"

Her mother got a certain twinkle in her eye. "Oh, you and _Chat Noir,_ huh?"

She rolled her eyes. "Not like that, mom. He doesn't like me like that."

"So," her mom gave her a look, "does that mean you like him like that?"

Ladybug froze. "You-that's not fair! You tricked me!" she protested as her and her mother laughed. She crossed her arms and leaned back against the wall.

Her mother silently handed her a comb made of the bone of an animal they had killed recently. She'd never had one of her own before, it's why her hair often got so messy. She'd use her mom's, but since she was leaving tomorrow...

"I figured you'd want one of your own. Your hair is so pretty, anyway..." her mother touched a strand of Ladybug's red hair. "And once it's brushed, you can put it in your hair as a hair decoration."

Ladybug threw herself into her mother's arms. "Thank you," she whispered gratefully. "For everything."

Her mother wrapped her arms around her daughter gently. "It's what a mother does best, my little Ladybug."

o~O~o

Ladybug sat around the fire beside her parents with a few of their neighbors. Chat Noir hadn't shown up yet, and she thought that was weird. He was always there on important days like these.

She made do without him for a little while, visiting around with the few other people her age. Most of them had already turned 18, but they had made the decision to stay here. Chat Noir was 18. But he was waiting for her. He always did.

Oh gods, he made her heart flutter. They'd go off together. Be together.

 _Oh gosh,_ she thought to herself as she continued to visit around. _I'm completely and helplessly in love with my best friend._ The thought hit as hard as that time she wasn't paying attention and walked straight into the wall of a cave. Okay, so maybe she was thinking about Chat Noir at the time, but that's totally normal. Right?

"Lost in thought, Bug?" She whipped around, caught completely by surprised at the voice that whispered that right by her ear.

She blushed a fierce scarlet almost as red as her hair. "Yeah, but it's no big deal..." she trailed off as she realized how close they were. His face was a mere inch from hers. If she wanted to, she could just lean forward a little more and...

Ladybug stepped back. She couldn't. Feeling something resembling disappointment, she grinned at him. "You ready to join the rest of the party now?"

She turned to go back with the others, but his hand on her wrist stopped her. "Wait. Can we talk?" his face betrayed an emotion that she could only define as desperation. That confused her. What would he be desperate about?

Her feet began to move before she even said anything. "Of course," she grinned as she moved back towards the party.

"No, you're not understanding me," he whispered. "We need to talk _alone."_

Her mouth went dry. She froze. Her tongue ran over her lips quickly. "Yeah," Ladybug began to head towards one of the caves. "That'd be fine."

Chat Noir let go of her wrist but grabbed onto her hand instead so that their fingers were entwined. He led her over into the cave she had been aiming for originally.

His hand left hers as soon as he stepped into the cave, and Ladybug stepped further in, noting that no one could see them anymore. "Chat-"

He came out of nowhere, his mouth landing squarely on hers. She stood there, panicking. Her hands flew up, but they didn't touch him at all. His mouth moved gently on hers, but she still didn't respond.

Chat Noir broke away after a long moment. "I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that..." he ran a hand through his dark hair that she loved so much.

"Chat..." she put an arm on his shoulder. He looked down at her and that's when she made a split-second decision to kiss him.

One of his hands went to her waist while the other went to the middle of her back. They brought her closer to him, and she put her hands on his chest. This time she kissed back, and their mouths worked together in a way she didn't even know was possible. Her eyes fluttered closed and she could have sworn she saw sparks. They kissed and the whole world didn't exist anymore. They could be the only two people left on earth and neither of them would care.

The finally pulled away, gasping softly. Chat gave her a weak grin. "Would now be a good time to tell you that I love you?"

"Only if I get to say it back," she ran a hand through his hair tenderly.

His fingers danced down her spine, making her shudder delicately. "Well go ahead, my Ladybug. I'm waiting," he pressed his lips to her forehead. "I'll always wait for you."

"I love you, Chat Noir."

"And I love you, Ladybug."

o~O~o

The next day Ladybug had her bag packed before dawn. It held everything she could possibly need on her trip, especially because she didn't know when- or if- she'd come back. She only needed one more thing, and then she'd be ready to go.

"Bug, are you ready to go?" His voice was right behind her once again. This time when she turned and they were face to face, he pressed his lips to hers in a quick peck.

"I'm ready. Have you got everything?" She gently tugged in a strand of his hair.

"All I need now is you," he smiled. She melted a little more, still in shock about what had happened the previous night. It was better than she ever could have imagined it. It was perfect. _He_ was perfect.

He leaned down so that his forehead was touching hers. "Just remember, I love you no matter what."

"I know. I love you too."

They headed out hand in hand, each holding a back of stuff for their journey. Ladybug cried when she said goodbye to her parents, Chat Noir cried when he said goodbye to his mom. They said goodbye to a few other in their clan before coming back together.

The sun began to rise over a distant mountain. They grabbed each other's hand again. The fated pair began to walk away from everything they'd ever known.

"We'll be fine, right Chat Noir?"

"Of course, Ladybug. As long as we're together."

"Forever and ever."

"Always."

o~O~o

Marinette had moved to her chaise at some point during Tikki's story, and stared at her with wide eyes for the duration of it. "Tikki, that was a great story! I really liked it, but... neither of them had a miraculous. How can they still be Ladybug and Chat Noir?"

"Oh, silly Marinette!" Tikki giggled. "They didn't need a miraculous o be Ladybug and Chat Noir! They were the first Ladybug and Chat Noir, but they didn't have a miraculous. In fact, on their journey the two of them helped create the miraculouses!"

"How could they have created the miraculouses? Don't they have godlike power?"

Tikki nodded. "They do! And they didn't create all of them by themselves, they had help! This pair is just remembered by us kwami because they made the Ladybug and Cat miraculous. The power of creation and destruction, the first manmade symbol of the yin and yang."

Marinette flopped back so she was laying down on her chaise. "Wow. That's completely insane! But how on earth did they manage to make the miraculous?"

The ancient kwami gave her a wise smile. "Love, Marinette. It was their love that was able to help them create the miraculous."

"What's the story behind that?" Marinette asked eagerly.

"That," Tikki chirped, "is a story for another time."

o~O~o

The first Ladybug and Chat Noir might not have been what anyone was expecting, but they were the start of something that would surely last forever. They didn't need a suit or magic to make them Ladybug and Chat Noir. They were Ladybug and Chat Noir simply by the fact that they began a legacy.

So our heroes started a long time ago. They've changed a lot since then. But Ladybug and Chat Noir have always been there. Since the beginning of time.

 **And there's the first chapter! I really hope you enjoyed it, and please leave a review if you read this. Here's a few of my future plans for the story:**

 **1\. I will not have a schedule. I can't keep up with it, my life is too unexpected for me to have one. That's not to say that I won't do my absolute best to post as frequently as I can.**

 **2\. This story is definitely not over. I have about fourteen story ideas, and I'm fully open to suggestions.**

 **3\. I'm also open to creating a 2nd story based off of this one that includes scenes you guys want to see that I didn't write. I'll only do it if it's requested though.**

 **Thats about all I have so far. So again, please read and review, and I hope to be back soon with the next chapter!**


	2. The Egyptian Era Part 1

**Okay! It's been a little over a week, so I think I've made good time with this chapter! I'll keep most of my rambling for down below.**

 **Disclaimer: Miraculous Ladybug is not mine.**

The goal of the miraculous duo has always been to protect. Protect those who cannot protect themselves. Protect those who are innocent. Those who have done no wrong. And above all, protect each other.

Their miraculous powers make them able to do so. They fight for good, and they are known for making those who wish to do wrong quake in their boots. The story of the miraculous duo continues with the first use of their miraculouses.

o~O~o

 **The Egyptian Era**

Tikki kept track of how long it would take after the Pharoah akuma for Marinette to ask about the Egyptian Ladybug.

It ended up being 2 days, 8 hours, and 11 minutes. Longer than she expected, but also very reasonable considering her charge had so much on her plate at all times. But now Marinette was dying to hear the story of the first Ladybug to have a miraculous.

Marinette had decided to climb up to her actual bed this time, and hugged her cat pillow to her chest. "So this Ladybug will actually have a miraculous?"

"Yes! This Ladybug was a girl by the name of Aziza. She worked down in the apothecary with her mother..."

o~O~o

"Aziza! Can you take this medicine to Abela? Her parents need her to be well so they can get her married off to that rich boy, remember?" Aziza's mother called up to her daughter.

Aziza looked in the mirror one last time, satisfied with her look for the day. Abela was the daughter of a wealthy elite. She was one of Aziza's only true friends, even if they didn't get to see each other very often. Her parents wanted Abela to marry well, so they were trying to pair her up with the son of a fellow noble family.

She rushed downstairs to grab the small glass vial of medicine. It was an odd blue color. "Are you sure this will help Abela?"

Abela had come down with a sickness, and with her wedding only a week away, she needed to get well _fast._

"I'm positive this one will work. I've seen this sort of sickness before. Now hurry along Aziza, Tadashi needs his daily medicine too!" Her mother ushered her out the door, closing it as soon as Aziza was no longer in danger of being hit by the closing door.

"I love you too, Mother..." she grumbled, her face betraying the hurt she felt. The look was quickly wiped away as she straightened her spine, going back to the emotionless girl that most people knew her to be. Besides, it helped her be a fantastic Ladybug.

Yes, Ladybug. Aziza still remembered when she had been given the earrings...

 _Aziza had been saving up her money to get new jewelry for Abela's wedding. It was still several months away, but that just meant that the best jewelry was still there._

 _There was an old woman there, one that Aziza stopped by to visit often. She was a lovely old lady by the name of Talia. Talia was funny, kind, and honest. Very bluntly so. It's part of what Aziza loved about her. She wasn't afraid to tell you the absolute truth._

 _Talia grinned as she saw Aziza coming. Her hazel eyes still sparkles, even in her old age. "Hello, Aziza. Are you looking for jewelry early?"_

 _That was the other thing. She always seemed to know exactly what was going on with Aziza. Sometimes it was a bit weird, but she enjoyed it nonetheless. "You're right again, Talia! I figured I'd come see you for some, since you've always got the best jewelry."_

 _Talia chuckled. "Well I've got something really special for you this time," she ducked under the table that held her necklaces._

 _Aziza peeked over the table, trying to catch a glimpse of what she was doing. She managed to catch a glimpse of a silver ring in a large box before it was closed and she straightened back up. Talia held the box out for her to take. "How much?"_

 _Talia scoffed, "Oh please! You've helped me sell so many things, this one is on me. Put them on when you're alone in your room, and bring them back if you don't like it."_

 _Aziza blinked at the odd phrasing, but quickly shook it off. "Thank you…" she whispered as she accepted the gracious gift. Talia was probably a better motherly figure than her own mother… "This means a lot to me, Talia." A genuine smile graced her lips as she let her shield down for the one person she trusted more than anything._

 _Talia returned the smile and waved her away. "Now you run along! And make sure to visit me again soon!"_

 _She clutched the box in one hand and headed back home. Her grin stayed on her face all the way up to her room, especially because her mother was out on her own errand. Aziza sat down on her small bed and laid the box in front of her._

 _It was a lovely box, black with red engravings all over it. It had obviously had a lot of time spent on it. She opened the box, and closed as a bright red light flashed in her eyes. Aziza cried out and flinched backwards, staring at the open box where a pair of simple earrings lay._

 _A small voice hummed. "Wings. That's new."_

 _Aziza screeched and pressed herself against the wall. "Who are you?" Her voice shook as she turned towards where the noise was coming from. A large red_ thing _was admiring itself in the mirror. It was bigger than any bug she'd ever seen before, and smaller than most animals. Its body was red and had black spots, sort of like a ladybug. There was a tiny set of wings on its back, and Aziza wondered how it could keep itself in the air. There were two antennae on the top of its head. "Scratch that,_ what _are you?"_

" _Well, that's a very interesting question. But you can call me Tikki." The thing flew over to her, making Aziza flinch. Tikki quickly backed away again, and Aziza felt bad. "I'm part of what will make you Ladybug!"_

 _The newly appointed Ladybug looked taken aback. "You- what?"_

 _Tikki bounced in the air, too gleeful for Aziza's taste. "You're going to be the very first Ladybug! All you have to do is say, 'Spots on!' and you'll become Ladybug! Then you can go out and save the day! With Chat Noir! I hope I get to see Plagg soon…_ "

 _"Please slow down..." Aziza pleaded. "Who is Ladybug? And Chat Noir? And Plagg? You're not making any sense!"_

 _Tikki flew over to her bed. "We have a lot to talk about..."_

Aziza hadn't really had the chance to save the day yet, but Tikki had helped her stop a few minor crimes. It appeared that Chat Noir was doing the same, as she heard their names thrown around in the marketplace occasionally. Tikki had assured her that she was chosen for a purpose, and something was sure to happen soon.

It wasn't long before she stopped in front of Adela's house. Adela's parents made sure everyone knew of their nobility, and their house reflected that. Majestic colors, large windows, it all screamed expensive. She knocked on the door and was surprised to see Adela answer it.

"Adela!" she cried. "You should be lying down!"

"Shush!" One of Adela's arms yanked her inside.

Aziza managed not to fall, but she did slam against the wall pretty hard. "Ow! Adela, what're you doing?"

A strong hand settled on her shoulder. Aziza felt her heart skip a beat as her ocean blue eyes met his dark brown ones. Not because she had _feelings_ for him- that'd be ridiculous- but because he was probably the most handsome man she'd ever met. His good looks and charm never failed to make her swoon on the inside. How he was just a servant boy, she had no idea.

Kafele grinned at her- why was his smile so attractive too?- and steadied her. "Are you okay? I'm sorry, I tried to get Adela to stay in bed but she refused-"

Adela groaned. "Kafele, I'm not a little kid! I can handle a little sickness. I am perfectly-" her words were cut off with a hacking fit. Aziza and Kafele gave each other a look. "-fine..." she smiled weakly.

Kafele rolled his eyes before scooping the girl up into his arms. "I'm carrying you upstairs. Aziza, Adela would like to take her medicine in her bed."

She grinned as she saw Adela try to kick him. "That sounds great, Kafele. I believe I will follow you upstairs, then."

The two of them laughed as Adela protested the whole way upstairs. Her fiery attitude often showed itself. Her protests were cut short as Kafele put her back in her bed. "Now Adela, I need you to stay here. You need to get better," he paused as Adela had another coughing fit before sighing wearily. "Your wedding is in a week, and we need something happy around here since the Pharaoh's wife died last night. I've heard he's a mess, looking himself in his room all the time, hardly eating... it's not good for him or the people. But a good wedding will certainly perk them right back up."

Adela groaned. "You are horrible."

He winked at her. "That's what you keep telling me." He looked to Aziza. "You have the medicine, correct?"

Fumbling in her pockets, Aziza nodded. "Yeah, its right- here!" she handed him a small glass vial.

Adela snatched it from his hands. "I can drink it myself!" Kafele and Aziza shared another exasperated look as she drinks the medicine, slamming the bottle down on the sheets beside her when she finished. "Now, I am perfectly fine," she yawned.

"I forgot to mention something," Aziza grinned. "That has some sleeping medicine mixed in as well so that you can _get some rest._ "

"No... fair..." the now-sleepy noble grumbled. Her eyelids fluttered shut over her hazel eyes and her breathing leveled out. She lay there in a purple dress that was surely some sort of nightdress, but more modest than one most women wore, as Kafele had to take care of her. Her brown hair glowed slightly in the light coming in through an open window. _It's no wonder her parents didn't have to try hard to marry her off. She's already gorgeous._

She felt a hand on her arm and jumped. Kafele immediately brought his hand away apologetically. "I'm sorry for startling you," his voice was hushed. "I just figured I would walk you to the front door, now that Adela is asleep."

Aziza shook her head, "That's not really necessary..." she trailed off as Kafele began walking out and she followed behind him.

He turned suddenly at Adela's doorway. Aziza almost ran right into his chest. He winked at her and she fought back a blush. "Now, what kind of a servant would I be if I didn't take care of the guests of the house?" he asked teasingly.

Aziza grinned weakly, her heart doing that stupid fluttery thing again. "Of course, my apologies."

The two walked back downstairs in silence. Right before they reached the door, he turned around again and leaned against the wall. She couldn't help but notice that he must've spent some time out in the gardens, as he was strong and definitely had a tan. _Stop it, Aziza!_

He looked flustered as he began speaking. "So, I've been meaning to ask you this for a while..." he flushed, and she stared at him, unsure of what to do.

"Yes...?" she prompted.

"Uh... How did you meet Adela?" he blurted out. It was strange to see him so awkward and it took her a minute to formulate a response.

"Well," she began, "I had to bring medicine to her dad one day, and she answered the door. She was exciting and nice and fiery, and we just hit it off. Now while I'd love to stay and chat, I really need to go." She stepped around him and opened the door. "Good bye, Kafele," she waved.

He waved back, a foolish grin on his face. The door closed and he slumped against the wall. "Ugh... why can't I just ask her?"

o~O~o

"Aziza!" a small voice hissed. "Aziza, wake up!"

The girl groaned. "What, Tikki? I'm trying to sleep here!"

"Yes, but Ladybug needs to be awake!" Tikki nudged the drowsy girl. "Something big is happening. We need to go figure it out."

"Ladybug?" Aziza shot up. "Okay then. _Tikki, spots on!"_ she whispered. Tikki flew into her earrings in a blinding pink flash, and the Ladybug suit materialized on her slim body. A thick gold necklace wound itself around her neck and connected itself to the top of her red dress with black spots. It hit just above her knees so she would be able to fight in it. The back opened up but was covered by a sheer black cloth. There was a golden sash that wound itself around her waist like a snake. A gold band wrapped itself around her left upper arm and her right wrist. Golden accessaries were in her hair, and her feet had sandals that fit snugly and were surprisingly comfortable. Her signature yo-yo was at her hip. To top it all off, she had a red mask with black spots covering her eyes.

She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. _Wow... I look really good. And, hopefully, completely unrecognizable._

Ladybug grabbed her yo-yo and soared out her window and into the night. The night breeze caressed her face, bringing a scent of fresh soil and flowers. Clean. It was exhilarating. She felt freer than she'd ever been before.

She landed nimbly on a roof. "Where am I supposed to go...?" she pondered. Tikki hadn't exactly told her where to go.

"I heard there's a disturbance in one of the pyramids."

Ladybug jumped back and fell right on her butt. She scowled as the voice laughed at her. "It's not funny. You startled me!" She stood up, glaring into the shadows. "... Who are you? And do you have... cat ears?" She squinted at the figure, who did appear to have cat ears.

A young man stepped into a shaft of moonlight. The first thing she noticed was that he truly did have cat ears, perched on his dark hair. They were gold and black, and occasionally twitched as if they actually heard something. The next thing she noticed (with a blush) was that he didn't have a shirt on. Ladybug had seen several topless males over the course of her 16 years, but this was different somehow. He had a black and gold cloth wrapped around his neck almost like a scarf, with a piece of fabric hanging down each side of his neck. Black fabric covered his forearms and wrapped around the palms of his hands, held in place by golden bands with green gems. Black material covered him from his hips to his lower thighs, more black and golden cloth wrapping around his waist. One strip fell behind him, and it seemed alive. He had a gold anklet on each ankle, and his feet were more like claws.

"Do you have a tail?" was the first thing that popped out of her mouth. She found herself walking over, and she tentatively touched it. "Is this an actual tail?"

"I think it is. It's a bit strange that I don't have a real one, considering I have actual claws, but I think I'll live." He watched her with green eyes that glowed. "I take it you're Ladybug, then?" Those eyes raked over her figure, taking in her costume like she had just looked over his.

"Indeed I am. And you're Chat Noir?"

"That would be me."

"Do the green eyes glow?" she found herself asking more questions.

Chat Noir chuckled, "Actually, my eyes aren't even green. I think they only turn green so that I can see in the dark. I'm not sure how it works, but it sure is helpful."

"See in the dark?" Ladybug was astonished. She'd never heard of anyone being able to do that- but they did have special powers now.

"Yeah, like over there-" he pointed in a direction that she knew led to the fountain, but she could only see a hint of the moonlight reflecting on the water, "- the merchant Talia is refilling her jugs so she can skip the line tomorrow."

"Really?" she looked up at him.

"I only speak the truth, Bug." He grinned. He had a very nice smile, she supposed.

She laughed, "Oh, don't call me that. Surely you can come up with something that doesn't make me sound like I annoy you."

Chat Noir pretended to think it over for a moment, his chin resting on his fist like he was deep in thought. "Well how about... My Lady?" He bowed to her.

"You're funny, Chat, I'll give you that. But we really need to go figure out what's happening." She moved over to the edge of the building.

He joined her, and she noticed the staff he was carrying. It was in his signature colors, and had a clawed foot on one end. "Right, Ladybug. Let's go."

 **In case you haven't noticed, the Egyptian Era isn't over yet. I decided that instead of getting an extra long chapter out in a week or two, I'd post it now. It's still a good length though, so don't get mad at me. Besides, more action comes next chapter.**

 **However, it's summer, and I'm on vacation. So I'm not really sure how much I'll write this week. I'll do my best though!**

 **I'll be back as soon as I can, so in the meantime, please read and review!**


	3. The Egyptians Era Part 2

**I'm back! Okay, so this one is a bit shorter, but I wanted to get it out here. I had some issues with it at first, but I'm glad it's all done now. Thanks to guest (lol me too. I've found after only two stories that writing about characters' lives in a chapter is really hard, I just want to keep writing!) and Mykindleisawesome for reviewing. Please please please review!**

 **Disclaimer: Miraculous Ladybug is not mine, but several of these characters are.**

By the time the pair got to the pyramid, there was no one there. The massive structure loomed above them, dark and eerie in the night. It's shadow covered them both, but Chat could see in the dark. He looked over at his new partner, who seemed strong and brave, but also kind.

"Let's go in," he moved toward the entrance, which he could see wasn't closed all the way.

Ladybug fumbled to grab his arm. "No! I can't see anything..."

Chat Noir stepped away from her, out to the brush surrounding the pyramids. There was a decently sized stick on the ground, so he picked it up and handed it to her. "Here, make a torch. I'll look around inside first." He left her before she could protest.

The inside of the pyramid was darker than the outside, but he could still see perfectly fine. It was a huge pyramid, and there were a lot of precious metals and jewels in there, which, strangely enough, weren't touched. He would have thought that if someone was going to break into a pyramid, they'd surely take the expensive objects. He reached out and touched a few of them. Even as a servant to a very wealthy family, he'd never been this close to this much money before.

"Focus..." he whispered to himself. He forced himself to move on, to study a sarcophagus that was sitting on a platform. He climbed the steps up to it. A face was on it, and a body adorned with more jewels. None of those jewels seemed to be missing either, so Chat Noir began to turn away.

But wait. What was that?

He brought his face up close to the side of the sarcophagus. It wasn't sealed closed. Furrowing his eyebrows, he grabbed the lid and lifted it off with his heightened strength.

"Ladybug!" his voice held a note of panic. "Ladybug, I found our problem!"

She appeared in the doorway, the torch lit. "What is it? Are you okay?"

He stared down at the empty sarcophagus. "The body. It's gone."

The two of them searched the rest of the pyramid together. Every single sarcophagus was empty, with no bodies to be found. Chat Noir and Ladybug decided to meet up every night and watch the pyramids, then left for the night. Ladybug went back home and detransformed immediately, laying down in her bed.

"Tikki, what does it mean?" Aziza stared at the ceiling.

Tikki looked just as shaken as she felt. "I don't know, Aziza. This is actually my first time helping a Ladybug. Ladybug and Chat Noir are only used if things are bad. So all I know is that things are not good. Not good at all."

Aziza drifted off into a worried sleep, her mind filled with thoughts about the empty pyramid.

o~O~o

The rest of the week dragged by, and Aziza found herself getting more and more exhausted as the days passed. Her nightly meets with Chat Noir drained her, and the other pyramids were being emptied just like the first one. All of the valuables were left alone, but the mummies were gone. There had to be almost one hundred of them overall.

The only good thing was that Adela was fully healed. With her wedding only two days away, she needed to be healthy. Aziza had run into her at the marketplace yesterday while she was buying herbs. The girl was as lively as ever, and greeted her very enthusiastically.

However, she still needed to deliver medicine to Adela. Mother said it was 'just in case.'

 _'Probably just gives her a reason to make more money..._ ' Aziza was walking to the fancy house that Adela lived in, nearing the fancy structure. It still awed her sometimes how big it was.

She stepped up the stairs and knocked on the door. Kafele answered this time, but Adela was right behind him. Adela had a big grin on her face, and Kafele was blushing. ' _I wonder what they were talking about.'_

"You're here!" Adela cheered, pushing past Kafele to grab her arm. "Now, what should we do...?"

Kafele rolled his eyes, the blush disappearing from his cheeks. "Well _you_ need to take your medicine, and I bet Aziza has more errands to run."

Adela nudged him, "Trying to get rid of her so soon?" she teased.

Kafele turned before Aziza could see his expression. "Of course not. Let's go upstairs." He promptly walked up the stairs, leaving Aziza and Adela behind.

The two girls gave each other puzzled looks. A crashing sound came from outside, and they both whirled around. The door burst open, revealing...

"Mummies?" Adela stood there, confused. Aziza saw a figure behind them, holding a staff.

"King Tutankhamun?" she whispered.

The Pharaoh turned, almost as if he heard her. "Get Adela, she will be perfect." His dark brown eyes were wild, and his usually dark skin was paler than normal.

The mummies lurched forward. Adela's eyes frantically searched the area, grabbed one of her family's favorite bases, and smashed it on the head of a mummy that reached for her. It barely faltered, making Aziza pale. If the mummies were already dead... what could stop them?

o~O~o

Kafele heard a crashing outside, and he immediately whispered, "Claws out!" Plagg got sucked into the ring, and his transformation into Chat Noir began. His normal clothes were transformed into those of the hero, and the staff appeared in his hand.

As soon as it was complete he vaulted down the stairs, landing in front of a mummy that he promptly knocked the head off of. His grin was wicked as he fought. Several mummies moved towards him, but they hardly managed to touch him before he knocked them away. They wouldn't get in his way, not when he was so determined to protect Aziza and Adela.

The two girls were both fighting back to back the first time he caught a glimpse of them, but now it seemed that things were going wrong. One of the mummies had grabbed another priceless vase, and it had smashed the vase into Adela's head. Her body had crumpled to the floor, leaving Aziza on her own as she desperately tried to defend her fallen friend.

Chat fought with renewed vigor to reach the two girls. His staff batted mummies out of his way as he moved forward. 'Just a little farther...' he thought.

But he was too late. Aziza fell with a cry as one of the mummies cut her arm with a shard from a vase. She curled in on herself in pain. A pair of mummies were suddenly at the broken door, carrying Adela's limp body. King Tutankhamun gave Chat a wicked smile that seemed to gleam unnaturally. "See you around, Chat Noir..." he called as he and most of the mummies followed him.

"Cataclysm!" he yelled as the ten mummies left began to surround him. He destroyed all of them before sinking to the floor. "She's gone..." he whispered, tears sliding down his face. "I've failed her..."

Aziza slowly sat up a few feet away from him, and he remembered she was hurt. A distant beep sounded in his ears, and he distantly remembered that Plagg said he had a two minute warning next. But he pushed that all aside as he knelt next to Aziza.

"Don't sit up," he ordered softly. Unable to stop himself, he brushed a strand of her short black hair out of her face tenderly. He guided her back down so she was lying down.

"Your ring..." she pointed at it, "it's flashing."

Chat Noir nodded, "It means I'm running out of time. But I have to help you, even if I transform back."

Aziza shook her head. "No. I can do it myself," she grunted as she attempted to sit up again.

He found himself grinning. Even when she was hurt, she still had that independent attitude that he loved so much. He crouched down beside her.

"What are you doing? And who are you?" Aziza looked at him strangely, her blue eyes meeting his green ones. Ones that weren't even his.

"Call me Chat Noir. And I'm carrying you upstairs. That's probably where the medical supplies are." Of course, he already knew where they were, but she didn't need to know that. Not now, anyway.

"It's not even that bad!" she complained as he picked her up. "And what about your transformation?"

Right. That. He'd nearly forgotten. "Close your eyes. I trust you."

Her eyes closed just as his transformation released. Kafele now stood there holding Aziza, but she didn't know.

Her eyebrows furrowed as she thought about what he said. "Why do you trust me? Do you even know who I am?"

"Let's just say I know of you," he said calmly. He had reached the top of the stairs, and headed into Adela's room. Most of the medical supplies were still in there, and Aziza could lay on the bed. However, it hit him once more that he had lost Adela. He had to get her back. But first, he had to help Aziza.

Kafele set her down on the large bed. A dresser sitting against a wall was covered in various medicinal bottles. Most of them were remedies that Aziza had brought down herself, before they found what would work on Adela. He knew there was at least one left that was a sleeping solution... Kafele picked up a clear solution in a small green glass bottle.

"Am I in Adela's room?" Aziza asked as he brought the bottle over to her. He placed it in her hand before walking back over to the dresser.

Without thinking, he nodded, before realizing her eyes were still closed. "Yes." Bandages and a towel sat on the corner of a desk against the back wall of the room, and he grabbed them. Setting them on a table right by the bed, he turned his attention back on Aziza.

"Is this... a sleeping draught?" she frowned at him. He wasn't surprised that she recognized it.

"It is," Kafele confirmed. "If you take it, I can bandage your arm and take you back to your house without you seeing me."

"Wouldn't people recognize you walking around the street and ask me about it? I can walk myself." Aziza fired back.

"Fine," he grunted, picking up the towel. He dipped it in a jug of water sitting on the small table so he would be able to clean off the blood. After wringing it out, he began to gently wipe the blood off of her arm.

"Kafele!" she gasped and he jolted. Had she figured out who he was?

"K-Kafele?" he asked weakly.

"My friend," she whispered, "is he okay?"

Kafele let out a silent sigh of relief. "Yes, he's okay."

"Where is he?"

Oh no. How was he going to get out of this one?

"Chat Noir... are you Kafele?"

He froze. He knew she was smart, of course, but he didn't anticipate this. Curse his bad luck!

"I..." he trailed off, unable to find something to say.

Her eyes slowly opened. "It is you," she whispered.

o~O~o

It was nearly dark before Adela woke up. She was laying on a bed, one that was somehow even fancier than hers at home. The room was full of reds and oranges, from the bedspread to the drapes covering the windows. The room itself was huge, much bigger than her room. There were several cabinets, dressers, and desks along the walls. They were all made of fine, expensive wood. There was also a massive painting of Queen Nefertiti on the wall. The deceased Queen was one of the most beautiful women she had ever seen.

The King casually strolled into the room as Adela took in her surroundings, and he acted like he hadn't kidnapped her. He saw where her gaze was, and followed it. She could visibly see him flinch as he looked upon the face of the woman he loved.

"She was beautiful," Adela whispered, not sure yet if this was a bad idea or not. "I'm sorry for your loss."

His voice was soft when he answered her, "I miss her dearly."

The two of them stared at the painting for several long moments. "She was quite beautiful," Adela commented.

King Tutankhamun nodded slowly. "She was." He turned to face her, his dark eyes boring into hers. "That's why I need someone beautiful to resurrect her."

Adela was stunned, for more than one reason. First off, she knew she was attractive. It wasn't cocky, she just knew it as a fact. But being called beautiful by the Pharaoh? That was startling. And second of all...

"Resurrect her?" she questioned, deciding to focus on that. "The gods would never allow that."

"Ra has taken my Nefertiti as his wife, and I want her back. So I will resurrect her." King Tutankhamun looked over at her.

"So... why am I here?" Adela was beginning to get nervous. If he was implying what she thought he was...

King Tutankhamun walked right up to the bed and stared into her eyes. One of his hands reached out and caressed her face, and she couldn't bring herself to get away like she wanted to. His touch unnerved her.

"Oh, dearest Adela..." he crooned, tilting her chin up, "you will be my sacrifice. If I sacrifice someone as beautiful as you, I am sure to get my Nefertiti back."

His golden robes trailed behind him as he briskly walked towards the doors. She had only just managed to get her wobbly legs to support her weight when he turned around in the doorway.

"Adela?"

"Y-yes?"

"Don't even think about trying to escape. Not even those new 'heroes' can save you from your fate."

In a whirl of golden robes he was gone, the door banging shut behind him. A bolt slid into place on the other side, successfully locking Adela into her new prison.

For the first time in years, Adela let a sob tear its way out of her throat. She ran towards the tall door, knowing it was hopeless. Pulling on the handles desperately, she cried out, but no one came. She yelled until her voice was hoarse. Dragging herself back to the bed, tears clouded her vision once more.

Adela cried herself to sleep that night.

 **Surprise! There will be a part three! Like I said above, I find myself wanting to keep writing, but I'm hoping to have it all wrapped up in part three.**

 **Please read and review, and I'll try to be back with the next chapter some time next week!**


	4. The Egyptians Era Part 3

**I AM SO SO SO SORRY! This is late, short, and still not the end! I could make excuses, but theyd really consist of how I couldn't get any of my ideas to work out, I had band camp for two weeks and had NO TIME for those two weeks, and I started trying to figure out a ML fairy tale story.**

 **Please don't kill me.**

 **I am very very sorry! On the other hand, I have the next chapter outlined and all I have to do is write it, so I'm hoping to get it up in the next two weeks.**

 **Disclaimer: Miraculous Ladybug isn't mine!**

Aziza stared. Blinked. Stared some more. Chat Noir... was Kafele?

He smiled at her, trying to reassure her. Was he talking? She couldn't tell anymore. The blood pounded in her ears and she couldn't hear, couldn't think. His lips moved but she couldn't hear.

Blink. She was standing up beside the bed.

Blink. He had grabbed her arm, and she was by the window. Still mouthing words she couldn't hear.

Blink. She had transformed, he stepped back in shock. Pleading brown eyes stared at her.

Blink. She was gone.

Aziza felt her bed under her fingertips as she detransformed, and she realized what she had done. Run away from Kafele (Chat Noir?) as Ladybug.

Tikki flew in her face. "Aziza!"

"I don't want to hear it, Tikki," Aziza muttered as she slowly sat down on her bed, turning away from the tiny god.

"You can't just run away from your problems!" Tikki's tiny voice yelled from behind her.

"You don't know me, Tikki."

"Stop pushing me away! I'm just trying to help you!" Tikki begged.

"Help me? You're the reason this is happening!" Aziza yelled.

Tikki stared at her Ladybug, wondering what went wrong. "Aziza, we can work through this together-"

"I didn't ask for this, Tikki," Aziza whirled to face the tiny kwami. "I didn't ask to be a hero, I didn't ask for my friend to be taken, and I definitely didn't ask for an annoying little bug to follow me around and tell me when I'm wrong!"

Aziza breathed heavily, enraged by the tiny bug. She turned away again, composing herself. "Leave me alone, Tikki."

Tikki looked at the girl that had so quickly shut away all emotions again. "You know, I think there's only one way you can be this disturbed by what happened."

Aziza stiffened. "Go away, Tikki," she muttered through gritted teeth.

"You like him," Tikki stated proudly. Aziza knew that Tikki could see her flinch to confirm that she was right. "You almost liked Chat Noir too, and knowing that they're the same person was too much for you. You have to shut everyone out again because you can't handle your own feelings."

"Leave me alone!" Aziza raged. "I don't need to hear this!"

"That's because you already know it, Aziza. You know I'm right and you just don't want to admit it, just like how you don't want to admit that you know Kafele is desperately in love with you and you are just too scared to give him a chance because it might hurt you in the end, but what about his feelings?"

Aziza flinched back from Tikki's words. "No- that's not- I don't mean to-"

She caught Tikki's brief smile when the kwami realized she had hit a sore spot. "You may act cold and tough, but your really do care about him. And if you're not careful, you'll lose him entirely."

Aziza's shoulders began to shake as Tikki's words set in. Her eyes filled with tears that she furiously blinked back, but one stubborn tear still trailed down her face. "You're right, Tikki..." she whispered. Tikki flew close and gave Aziza a hug. "Thank you..."

o~O~o

Kafele had stared out the window for an hour after she left. Aziza. Ladybug. One that he had come to love and the other he had come to respect greatly during the short time he had gotten to know her. He wasn't sure he expected Aziza to be Ladybug. Aziza had always come off as cold, whereas Ladybug was caring and loved to laugh.

Maybe it was kind of like how Chat Noir was more charming and Kafele was more awkward at times. Maybe the mask helped them be a different version of themselves, and the mask gave them the confidence they needed. It was definitely an interesting concept.

"You've been sitting in the same spot for an hour, kid, are you planning on moving anytime soon?" Plagg flew into the room snacking on something he had grabbed from the kitchen. The kwami had a habit of eating food whenever he wasn't sleeping, which meant that he did both a lot. It also meant that Kafele had to take what Plagg ate out of his own meals so Adela's parents wouldn't notice. Not that Kafele really minded, though there had been a couple days where Plagg got really hungry...

Kafele looked over at the black cat floating in the air. "I'm not a kid anymore," he stated simply, "I'm eighteen now."

"I don't know if I should congratulate you or ask you if that's supposed to make your love life less of a mess," the kwami stated drily.

Kafele rolled his eyes, "I think you've succeeded at doing both."

Plagg smiles proudly, "Why thank you! That was my goal."

"It's not like you've ever been in love, anyway..." He muttered.

"Of course I've been in love. Still am, actually. Just like how you're in love with _your_ Ladybug, I'm in love with mine." Plagg insisted.

Kafele blushed, "Sorry, I didn't mean to- wait, do you mean you love Ladybug's kwami? How does that even work? How often do you even get to see her?"

Plagg sighed, almost wistfully, and floated over to sit on the edge of the bed. "It's complicated, kid."

"Don't call me-"

"Did I say I was done?" Plagg snapped at Kafele, causing him to abruptly shut his mouth. "That's better. Now, you have two choices. You can go after her now, or you can wait until morning."

The kwami probably already knew what Kafele was going to do. He was beginning to understand Kafele.

Kafele found this terribly unfair. Plagg could anticipate his actions, whereas Kafele had to actually think about them and then follow through with them. Kwamis didn't have responsibilities. (Unless you count taking care of superheroes and making sure they don't accidentally destroy the world. But Kafele wasn't counting that.)

The truth was, Kafele was scared. Well, maybe scared wasn't the right word. Maybe he was looking for the phrase 'downright terrified.' He'd been in love with Aziza for about a year, pining after her but always too scared of rejection.

So he expected the unsurprised look in Plagg's eyes when he said he would do it tomorrow. He didn't expect the disappointment he felt deep down inside, but he shoved it down further anyway.

o~O~o

Aziza felt enlightened when she woke up the next day. Her talk with Tikki had really helped her sort out her feelings (after actually discovering what they were). It was strange to finally accept that she like Kafele a lot.

However, she still wasn't prepared to act on any of those feelings. So it was a shock when he showed up at her front door that morning, out of breath and trying to talk to her. Her mother had left early for the market, so she quickly ushered him inside.

Kafele looked anxious, his eyes flitting from her to the ceiling and back again. His uneasiness was unsettling to her.

"Kafele?" Aziza looked at him, then caught a glimpse of Tikki watching them around the corner. She narrowed her eyes at the small kwami briefly before turning her attention back to Kafele.

"I've been trying to tell you for a while now," Kafele began, his words fast, "but I haven't been able to work up the courage-"

She cut him off, anticipating his words, "It's okay, I know now."

He blinked, drawing her attention to his deep brown eyes. It made her realize again how lovely they were, unlike her weird deep blue eyes. "What?"

"I know that you're Chat Noir, and you know that I'm Ladybug, and it's all," she swallowed, trying to come up with the right word, "fine."

"Oh! No, not that. Well, that probably was pretty important too, but it wasn't what I was talking about," he began to ramble. "Of course it was pretty important, since it turns out I'm Chat Noir and you're Ladybug, even though we haven't know each other for long as Chat Noir and Ladybug-"

Aziza cut him off quietly. "Please get to the point, Kafele."

He grinned, but it was weak and unsure. "Right. I had a point." He rubbed the back of his neck anxiously before looking her in the eyes. "I was trying to say... I-I really like you, Aziza. A lot. Maybe even love you. I'm not sure on that part yet."

Aziza froze, staring at him. He must've thought that meant bad things though, because he continued to ramble on, "I know you're confused and don't know how you feel, but I do. I love you, and if you don't, then just say it. I'll be okay."

Then he stared at her desperately, his eyes seeming to plead with her. Aziza couldn't help her reaction. A laugh bubbled out of her chest, and she sank to the floor, laughing the hardest she had in a long time. She knew how it had to seem to Kafele, so she grabbed his arm and yanked until he was on the floor too, on her level. His dark eyes were filled with hurt.

"I'm sorry, I'll just-"

"No! No, don't," she gasped for air. "It's just funny because I was just thinking about you last night."

"You were?" Kafele seemed dumbfounded.

"I was!" she leaned forward, feeling giddy. "And if you wanted to court me, I would gladly let you."

"You would?" Kafele stared at her.

"I would!"

And with that, Kafele closed the gap between them and kissed her.

o~O~o

Adela found herself rudely awakened in the morning. Her eyes flashed open and she saw a woman standing over her with a bucket. One that had just been full of water. Only now it wasn't.

Adela yelled, scrambling backwards and falling off the side of the bed. "Oh my gods!" She wiped the water away from her eyes before peering over the edge of the bed.

The mysterious woman looked not much older than Adela, and Adela realized that there were two more women standing behind her. Probably slaves of the king, sent to fetch her.

The first woman had very dark skin, making the cream of her dress stand out. Her midnight black hair reached past her hips and was pulled back into a braid. Her eyes looked almost black, and her lips were pulled down in a frown.

Another woman stood right behind the first one, and she glared at the first woman. Her hair was deep black, it was in a bob that hit just below her chin, and she had bangs across her forehead. Her eyes were a light brown, and there was a twinkle of mischief in them. Her skin was the lightest of the three of them, and her dress was white and had turquoise around the hem.

The last woman was cowering behind the second. Her hair was completely natural, and it hung straight down to her shoulders. She was the shortest, but not much shorter than the second woman. Her skin was more in the middle, and her eyes were a chocolate brown. Her white dress was a little too long and dragged on the floor.

"Oh, look! You're awake," the first woman had a sneer.

"I'm so sorry," the third one whispered. "We tried to tell her-"

"Oh, shut it!"

"Leave her alone!" the second woman spoke up.

The first one rolled her eyes, "Fine. We have to work anyway."

"I'm Alecto, the rude one here is Calista, and this is Melora," the second girl- Alecto- spoke again.

Adela slowly stood up. "And what am I supposed to do?"

Calista headed toward the door impatiently. "King Tutankhamun wants you to look your best for whatever he wants with you. He won't tell us, but it must be important."

"Calista has great fashion sense, so she's going to pick out your clothes while we help bathe you," Melora spoke so quietly that Adela had to strain to hear her.

"Bathe me?" Adela finally spoke up. "No thanks, I can do that myself."

"Did she ask for your permission?" Alecto spoke up, hands on her hips. "We won't get in trouble because you won't let us do our job, so excuse me if you have to do something you don't particularly want to do."

Adela stood and held her chin up. She might as well follow them, hopefully she'll be able to escape. Servant girls can't stop her, right?

"Fine. Lead the way."

o~O~o

Nico paced the floor of his fiancée's house. It was an absolute wreck. Broken pots on the floor, a bunch of dust, and even a couple mummies. Mummies didn't just get out of their pyramids, walk into houses, and kidnap people! That just didn't happen! Mummies were mummies because they were dead. His fiancée was gone and no one knew where she had gone. The servant boy had also disappeared without a trace. Was that suspicious?

He crouched on the floor. A clear struggle had gone on and he was proud of Adela for fighting back.

One of the things he hadn't told his parents about their meeting was that she had punched him. Lost in the memory, he rubbed his stomach. It had hurt, but Nico supposed it was largely his fault. He'd just put on his mask that he had with all of the other women his parents had take him to meet, and he was a bit of a prick. So she ended up punching him, they had a real conversation, and he went downstairs to tell his parents she was the one he wanted to marry.

Needless to say, they were thrilled.

There wedding was supposed to be tomorrow, too. It was so close!

He clenched his fist. He would find Adela. Nico was going to save her, and whoever took her was going to pay.

 **Sort of a cliffie? Anyway, next chapter WILL BE THE END!**

 **Thanks to my two reviewers! (By the way, I am aware that Nefertiti was not Tut's wife in real history, but I have watched The Pharaoh several times to make sure my story at least follows what it gave me, and it says that this Nefertiti was his wife.)**

 **I've got two questions for you guys. First of all, do you want to see the wedding? Cuz I won't write it if you don't want to see it. Also, do you want to see a fairytale story sometime in the future? It won't be strictly fairytales, because I've got a Mulan story planned out. I'll give you more details if you want them.**

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	5. The Egyptian Era Part 4

**... Hi? I'm back?**

 **So uh, I'm so terribly sorry. I have several excuses, but I guess I'll just start telling you about my life over the past few months, even if you don't really care.**

 **So I originally disappeared for band camp, which is two weeks long. Then school started up, along with Band kicking into full swing. Things were rough there for a little while, I found myself part of a love triangle, I then lost a friend that I had grown to be really close to and it's still messing me up even now. I mean, he's basically replaced me with a guy he knows I hate. Anyway, I also got a boyfriend about a month ago, and that's been pretty interesting. He's a weirdo but I like him anyway. Then my band won state finals for our class! That's never happened before in our school's history, and that's when I began having free time. So I spent the last two or three weeks writing this chapter, so I really hope you enjoy it!**

Aziza found that she had a massive smile on her face when her and Kafele headed out to save Adela. Things had actually worked out between them!

But now she had to focus on the hard part. Saving Adela would be no easy task, even if the old king was completely insane by now. He still had an entire army of mummies on his side, as well as a magical scepter. What did Kafele and her have?

Powers they've been using for a couple months? That's reassuring.

Magical flying things to give you advice but can't talk to you while you're wearing the suit? Perfect. So all I have to do is detransform in the middle of battle and ask Tikki for advice.

... Love? How could I forget? Love conquers all! If we start making out in front of him, he'll drop the staff, free Adela, and there we go! ... that sounds even more ridiculous when I say it.

She shook her head to get out of her thoughts and focused back on what was happening just in time to miss falling off the roof. Not that she would have, anyway, as Chat's strong arm snaked around her waist, holding her steady.

"Careful, Bug, we don't need you to fall," he teased, his breath tickling her ear.

Ladybug stepped away. "I think the only one falling here is you," she grinned.

"Oh, but my Lady," he whispered, getting close to her face, "I've already fallen."

Ladybug quickly turned away to hide her blush. "Come on, Chat, we need to go save Adela."

She swung out her yo-yo so it latched onto part of a house and swung towards the pyramids.

o~O~o

Chat Noir's feet hit the ground at the pyramids and Ladybug landed beside him. The sun was almost directly above them. He felt sweat trickle down the back of his neck due to the heat.

"We fight together until we reach King Tutankhamun. Then I take him and you save your Cataclysm until you can destroy them in a circle like last time," Ladybug told him.

"That sounds wonderful, my Lady."

"Then let's go." She began to walk forward and he followed slightly behind her so he could protect her from behind if necessary.

The silence was deafening, and shivers crawled up Ladybug's spine. The sound of the city seemed far away, even though it was almost midday, so the bustle of the city was louder than ever. But outside the pyramids, there was nothing.

They reached the foot of the largest pyramid. Chat Noir heaved a sigh. "Well, I guess we'll have to-"

Ladybug never got to hear what they'd have to do, as a blast of magic rocketed past her face, singing the ends of her hair. The entrance to the pyramid behind them was open, and King Tutankhamun stood in the entrance, a cruel smile on his face. Ladybug could see a glimpse of Adela further in the pyramid, but she was hidden in shadows. Mummies began pouring out of the other pyramids, and some surrounded her and Chat while the others followed the king.

"Chat, can you take them?" Ladybug called, staring down King Tutankhamun. Her yo-yo was out and she was prepared to make her getaway as soon as he gave her the okay.

"Relax, Ladybug," he flashed her a grin. "I've got this. You go save Adela." Then he leapt straight into action, jumping right into the middle of the mummies. Ladybug's heart pounded as fear began to trickle into her veins, but she pushed it aside.

Performing an effortless backflip, Ladybug evaded King Tutankhamun's next attempt to attack her. While she'd never been the most graceful, the suit helped her gain a better sense of balance. She whipped out her yo-yo, aiming for the staff, but King Tutankhamun caught it and yanked, forcing her forward. Regaining her balance quickly, she sharply tugged on her yo-yo in an attempt to get it back, then let it go slack so the King would lose his balance. Since he was older, he stumbled, dropping the string, and she dropped to the floor, swinging a leg out to trip him up.

King Tutankhamun's back hit the floor with a thud. A blast of magic shot out of his scepter, catching Ladybug right in the stomach and all her breath whooshed out of her. She wheezed for breath, doubled over as he calmly stood again. Ladybug could see the devilish grin on his face as he began to chant, the top of the pyramid opening up and a light shining on Adela as he began the sacrifice.

"N-no…" she cried, and prepared to use Lucky Charm.

" _Cataclysm!"_ Chat Noir cried, but his cry of triumph soon turned into one of horror.

Ladybug wheeled around to see Chat Noir with his hand lit up with the black power of destruction like she'd asked him to, but the mummies had seen it coming this time. Several were preventing him from moving, one had gotten his staff, and two had grabbed his cataclysm hand and were slowly lowering it onto his face.

"Let's see what happens to a human," King Tutankhamun hissed, "when they get destroyed. Watch as Chat Noir becomes his own undoing, Ladybug, because if you take one more step towards him, he's gone and Adela will be gone too."

He was right. He was right and Ladybug wanted to slap that smug look off his face. Instead, she did the only thing she thought could even save them.

" _Lucky Charm!"_

It didn't quite work how she thought it would, however. Instead of her yo-yo coming back down, a staff appeared, similar to Kafele's. However, instead of black and gold, it was red with black spots and didn't have a claw on the end. It had a sphere on top that glowed as she held it. Ladybug aimed the staff at one of the mummies surrounding Chat Noir and a burst of magic shot out, and the mummy froze before crumpling to the ground, the magic animating it gone. With only one mummy on his arm now, Chat angled his wrist so his palm was facing that mummy and it disintegrated. His ring beeped, and Ladybug remembered that they both had very little time left. After she took out the mummy with his staff, Chat grabbed his weapon and beat up mummies with renewed vigor.

Ladybug turned and set her eyes on the King, who was still chanting furiously. She wasn't sure if he knew his plans had gone awry or not. Aiming her scepter at his, she sent a blast of magic at it, but he moved at the last second and it hit the pyramid wall. King Tutankhamun whirled around, brows furrowing in confusion. Ladybug took up an offensive stance, ready to finish off the King.

"It appears you're almost out of time…" King Tutankhamun gave Ladybug a grin that made her stomach twist into knots.

"So are you," she shot back. "You're going to free my friend-"

A shot fired past her, so quickly that she barely dodged it in time.

"My darling Ladybug, I'm not going to do anything that I don't want to. You, however, are going to run out of time before you defeat me."

As soon as he said it, her earrings beeped. Ladybug cursed. She fired a quick shot at his staff, but he easily stepped aside.

"Don't get too hasty now," Tutankhamun taunted, and this time they both shot at the same moment, their magic bouncing off of each other and hitting different walls of the pyramid. "I'd hate to see you lose… Wait," he gave her a chilling grin, "I would."

The king suddenly lunged at her, too fast for Ladybug to comprehend. She stumbled backwards but knew he was right there, and suddenly she was pinned to the wall, one of his hands around her throat. He squeezed and she couldn't breathe. His breath was warm as he began to whisper into her ear. "Once I have killed Ladybug, I will complete my sacrifice before killing your _precious_ Chat Noir as well."

"N-no!" Ladybug choked out, the sound garbled and quiet.

Pressure around her throat intensified and black spots began to dance before her eyes, taunting her with the similarity to the black spots on her suit. Even through the black spots, though, she could still see the King's maniacal grin. He knew he was winning, he knew she was done, he knew she had no one left to help her-

Something slammed into the side of his head and King Tutankhamun collapsed on the ground, out cold. Ladybug slid down to the ground beside him, gasping to regain breath. She blinked away the black spots, and made out a figure standing over her.

"Ch-Chat Noir?" she whispered, shaken.

"Ladybug, I'm so sorry it took me so long to be able to help you, but being tied up is a bit of a situation." Adela stood over her, her savior. Somehow she had freed herself. How, Ladybug didn´t know. But she would be eternally grateful.

She gestured to Adela, trying to give her burning throat a chance to recover. Adela understood the gesture and nodded.

"Well you see, after being forced into this dress, I convinced the maids that I needed a few minutes to be alone. Threw in some tears and they gladly left, the fools," she chuckled. "I had 'accidentally' smashed a vase in a tantrum I threw earlier, and his palace is so understaffed that no one was available to clean it up, so I snuck a few pieces into my dress and freed myself-"

One last beep from Ladybug's earrings sounded. "Lucky Charm!" she rasped, throwing the staff into the air. As the surroundings fixed themselves and mummies returned to their sarcophaguses, Adela faded away too, returning back to her home, Ladybug hoped. The pyramid was filled with a pink light and her suit disappeared, leaving Aziza as her normal self. Exhausted, she slumped to the ground.

Kafele walked into the room, looking sore and tired, but happy to see her. His transformation had also worn off. "We did it," he whispered, looking down at the king.

"Yes," Aziza stood slowly, her bones aching. "We did."

o~O~o

Nico paced Adela's home, his frustration written all over his face. Their wedding was supposed to be _today,_ and there was still no sign of where she'd gone! He was worried to death, and her parents weren't much help either. They'd hardly left their only child's room since she disappeared, and Nico was more than a little concerned about their mental stability at this point. It had only been a day, but it had been a very long, draining day.

Shrieks sounded from upstairs and Nico started. His head snapped up and he raced up the stairs. The sound was coming from Adela's bedroom, was her mother having a crying fit again? Had someone else broken in?

He burst into the room. Adela's mother was indeed crying, but they were happy tears. Her father was on the floor hugging someone.

"Adela!" Nico cried, and she turned to face him. Her gorgeous face lit up in a beaming smile, and he stared at her, trying to see if she was injured. "You're safe!"

She laughed, the noise music to his ears. "Of course I am," she taunted playfully. "Were you worried about me?"

Normally, her taunts would make him respond in a similar way, maybe by saying "Of course not!" or something similar, but this time he didn't. Instead, his smile dropped off his face, and Adela faltered under his sudden intensity. Nico then hugged her tightly. His arms wrapped around her shoulders, and he hid a tear or two in her hair. "I was out of my mind with worry," he whispered in her ear. "That was the longest day of my life, and I never want to be away from you that long again."

Her small arms wound themselves around his waist. "It was terrifying," she breathed. "I thought for sure that I'd die."

"I was going to find you," Nico promised, and let her out of his arms. "Besides, we have a wedding!"

Adela laughed again, just as comforting as it was the first time. "I can't believe I almost missed our wedding," she teased.

His lips ghosted across her forehead. "But now you're back, and just in time."

"Yes," she whispered, "I'm back, and you're not getting rid of me easily this time."

o~O~o

"The end!" Tikki chirped cheerfully.

"But what about the wedding? Did Aziza and Kafele ever get married? What happened to King Tutankhamun-?" Marinette protested, her words flying out of her mouth almost faster than Tikki could process. Marinette only stopped her rambling when Tikki started giggling.

"Marinette! Calm down, that's only the end of the part I was going to tell you."

Marinette groaned and flopped back onto her chaise. "Tikki! You can't just leave me like this! What about their futures?"

"You can hear that from Aziza herself," Tikki answered, sounding almost smug.

Marinette bolted upright. "But Tikki, she's dead! I can't contact a dead person!"

Before Marinette could start rambling again, Tikki held up a tiny red hand and her holder quieted. "You can't physically _talk_ to her, but I do have a letter that she wrote to future holders of the Ladybug miraculous." A white envelope appeared in her hand, with the name _Aziza_ scrawled on the front. "Most of the previous Ladybugs made one, so you'll have plenty to read someday."

There were so many questions Marinette wanted to ask, but she decided to ask them one at a time. "How do you have a letter from that long ago?"

"Magic," Tikki answered.

"Where do you keep it?"

"In the Miraculous."

"How?"

"Magic."

"How's the letter in a modern day envelope?"

"Magic."

"Why did some Ladybugs not write letters?" Marinette finally asked, realizing she was getting nowhere with her other questions.

Tikki's always-present smile promptly disappeared, and she solemnly flew over to the window. Marinette slowly stood up and walked over to the small red kwami. Just as she opened her mouth, Tikki began to speak.

"A few died before they had the chance to. But one… she suffered a fate worse than death," Tikki whispered, her voice haunted by what she was remembering.

"Worse than death?" Marinette cautiously asked.

Tikki shook her head and handed Marinette the letter. "That's a story for another time. Don't worry though, I have plenty of happier stories before then."

 _Dear future Ladybugs,_

 _I hope that Tikki has shared my story with_ _you_ , _and that_ _you have learned something from it_. _I hope you are learning from your own_ _experiences as well. I hope you are finding happiness_ _with your powers, your friends, your Chat Noir, because I have._

 _As I_ _am writing this, it has been one week since Kafele and I have gotten married, and just over a year_ _since Adela and Nico got married. Kafele courted me for a few_ _months before we set our wedding date. My mother was not exactly thrilled, but she also didn't really care after I asked a second time._

 _Adela is now eight months pregnant_ _and looks ready to burst! She's positive it's a boy_ , _but_ _Nico still thinks it's a girl_. _Her emotions_ _have been crazier than normal, which is_ _impressive, as her temper is a force_ _to be reckoned with_ _anyway._

 _King Tutankhamun has made several attempts to attack our superhero forms, but they've all been easily thwarted. Every time we see him, he seems to have aged another five_ _years. I don't expect_ _him to last much longer. It out he has a son_ _that's been residing_ _in another_ _part of_ _the country_ , _and he will come back and take_ _over when the King dies._

 _Everything is well now,_

 _Aziza_

 _Dear_ f _uture Ladybugs_ ,

 _I am now pregnant_ _with my third child! Kafele_ _and I have been married for eleven years now, and Adela and Nico for twelve. It's a wonderful thing, to be married, and I'm so glad I picked the right person. I love_ _him_ _with all my_ _heart, and he feels the same way._

 _Our oldest child is a nine-year-old girl named Neve. She's looked up to Adela since she was very small and her fiery personality shows it. I know she'll grow up to be a little heartbreaker, though. She's already got the best of_ _mine and Kafele's features._

 _Taavi is our second child, and he turned_ _four a few weeks ago. He's a sweetheart. The polar_ _opposite of his sister_. _Even now they get into petty arguments, which is ridiculous because_ _they're five years apart._

 _My third pregnancy is going smoothly, as I'm getting used to the process_. _I'm only three months_ _along though, so_ a _nything could happen._

 _Adela and Nico have never_ _had a second child, though. I know they're disappointed, but_ _their eleven-year-old son is enough of_ _a handful that they don't need any more children._ _He's a troublemaker, and keeps roping Neve into his schemes._

 _Children_ _are incredibly frustrating._

 _King Tutankhamun has died, but we still have the miraculouses. Just in case._

 _Everything is well,_

 _Aziza_

 _Dear future Ladybugs,_

 _This will be my last letter. It's been many years since my last one, I've lost track of exactly how many. I'm old now, my bones_ _brittle, my hair grey, my movements slow. Slowly, I can feel myself slipping away. But I am ready to die. Kafele has been gone for a few years. I still remember watching him slip away in my arms. I cried for days. Adela_ _told me that some things were meant to be, but I found it hard to believe_ _her. I found myself repeating this wisdom to Nico when she passed a mere two years later_. _But there was no one to comfort me when he passed on to the afterlife a month ago_. _I miss them every day._

 _My children have all grown_ _and are having children of their own. Neve ended up marrying Adela and Nico's only son_ , _Vinh. They very quickly gave me two grandchildren, twins, and another three years later. They all adore me, and I them._

 _Taavi married a village_ _girl named Laney, and their_ _sweet, kind personalities_ _were passed down to their four children. They're all so nice, and very_ _little of that trait came_ _from me._

 _My third child was declared dead an hour_ _after I gave birth to her. My Liana is_ _with Kafele now, and I believe they are waiting for me_ i _n the afterlife._

 _I will give the ring and earrings back_ t _o Thalia,_ a _nd she will disappear with them. I know I kept them_ _too long, but I couldn't let my_ _last friend go yet. You probably know this, but Tikki_ _is wonderful, and so is Plagg, but I still see Kafele when I look at him._

 _I am ready to go now. My time is up, I have done right in the world_. _I will get to see Adela again. I will get to see Nico again. I will get to see Liana again. I will get to see my Kafele again._

 _Oh, I can't wait to see him again. It's only a matter of time now,_

 _Aziza_

 **Hamilton, anyone? I thought it would be a fitting** **end. So how was it? Have I at least kind of made up for** **my disappearance**? **Please leave me a review** **to let me know!**

 **(P.S. I have several ML character cameos hidden** **all throughout this story. I think only one named character isn't based off of a current one**. **My plan is to continue doing this through all of my future stories. For example, Adela is based off of Alya (fun fact, her original name was Aaliyah but** **I thought that was too obvious))**


	6. The Chinese Era Part 1

**Hey! I'm back! It's a whole new year now! Merry belated Christmas and New Year! I hope you've all had lovely breaks, I sure have! But anyway, here's the story!**

Sanaz lifted the red cloth over her face, then pulled the hood over her head. The red was covered with black spots. The hood and mask left only her eyes uncovered, and no one would be able to tell who she was. Of course, no one would expect her to be the famous assassin, Ladybug.

Ladybug was a very ordinary, well-mannered girl by day, but at night, she was a ruthless assassin. Actually, not just her…

A blur of black and green leapt down in front of her from the house she was crouched behind. Any normal person would've flinched – maybe even screamed – but Ladybug only blinked. Even though she'd only become a ruthless assassin when she was fifteen, just over a year ago, she'd been training in a dojo for years before this – without her parents knowing, of course. Her father would _kill her_ if he ever found out what she was up to.

Chat Noir nodded to the house, and Ladybug nodded. They both knew the plan: she'd take the front through a window, he'd go through the side, they'd meet in the master bedroom and kill the husband that the wife had gone to them for. He was abusive or something – they hadn't asked the details, but it wasn't an uncommon complaint.

Ladybug crept to the front of the house without a sound. She eased open the front door, ready to stop if there was a sound. But the door was smooth like butter as it eased open, and she stepped into the house.

It was obvious they were rich. The first clue had been the outside of the house. It was like hers, one large shape instead of multiple houses. Three wings surrounding a large courtyard. The inside was lavishly decorated, with wooden carvings and paintings everywhere.

 _Focus,_ she told herself, and turned back to the task at hand.

 _Step one: Find the master bedroom._

Her feet were clad in soft slippers that weren't adequate for running, but she was sneaky, so it hardly came to that.

Ladybug eased open the first door she came to just a crack, and she caught a glimpse of a kitchen. She shut the door as quietly as she had opened it and turned into the next wing of the house.

Her partner was working his way up that hallway, so she turned again to go back where she came from. As she passed the kitchen, she paused and closed her eyes to listen for the sound of life – breathing, snoring, anything like that. There was nothing like that until she turned to the last wing of the house. That's when she heard the faint sound of breathing.

She tiptoed past doors as the sound grew louder, and stopped in front of the third one. Ladybug put a gloved hand on the doorknob and eased it open enough to see inside. A man and a woman lay in bed together, but only the man was asleep, as the woman's eyes opened when the door opened. It was the client that had approached them last night, offering money in exchange for the killing of her husband. They had specific instructions to break a window or door on their way out so it wouldn't seem like she was the one who had hired them.

 _Step one: Complete_

Chat Noir appeared at her side, and motioned to the open door. Ladybug nodded, and they both crept inside the room. It was a lovely room, but their main goal was the husband on the bed in the middle of the room.

 _Step two: Kill the man_

Chat nudged her gently. It was her turn to make the kill.

She still remembered his last kill. The woman's eyes had opened right before he slit her throat, and he got so startled that he cut off her head. That was the most surprised she'd ever seen Chat Noir. It was unsettling to see her stoic partner like that.

As she unsheathed her katana, she saw Chat get the bag ready to grab the money out of the corner of her eye. Ladybug crept forward so she stood on the side of the bed where the husband was. She aimed the katana so it would cleanly slice through the skin and tissue.

The slice across his neck was clean and bloody, making the blade of her katana slick. The man's eyes opened in shock for the last time, never to close again on their own. Ladybug sheathed her katana and turned to her partner, who was scooping up the money in one bag. They would share later.

 _Step two: Complete_

 _Step three: Grab the money and get out_

Ladybug motioned to the window in the room and looked at their client, who nodded. Her dark hair was crimson with the blood of her husband.

"Cataclysm," Chat Noir whispered, his hand surrounded by pure darkness. With one touch, the window completely disintegrated. Nothing was left but the shape where it used to be.

The woman began to shriek as the assassins Ladybug and Chat Noir ran off into the night.

o~O~o

"You hesitated," Chat Noir stayed quietly as the duo prowled around the city. His voice was probably the warmest she'd ever heard it.

Ladybug nodded, knowing he'd be able to see her with his night vision.

They continued on in silence as they passed several more houses. It wasn't uncomfortable, it never was. They weren't particularly close, but they were something akin to friends.

"Why?" his soft voice broke the silence again, making Ladybug jump slightly.

She hesitated as she searched for an answer. Should she tell him the truth?

"I... I'm not sure, actually." It was sort of the truth. She didn't really know why he was second-guessing what they were doing all of a sudden.

Chat Noir's glowing green eyes looked directly at her, sizing up what she was feeling. He ran a gloved hand through his black hair, sighing quietly. "Well, you know... you know you can talk to me... right?"

Ladybug stared at him in surprise. He sounded so open, so caring. "Thank you," she whispered.

He smiled softly at her before turning away. She felt the change before he spoke. Whatever moment they had was gone.

"Let's go," he said, and leapt forward, using his baton to jump over houses. He didn't look back.

o~O~o

Sanaz landed softly inside of her bedroom after her and Chat finished their patrol. They weren't necessarily looking for wrongdoers, more like looking for clients. Sure enough, they found one, and now had a job for the next night. Strangely enough though, it was a man, not a woman or child. But Chat Noir and Ladybug weren't paid to ask questions.

Her suit melted away and Sanaz stood in her bedroom in her normal clothes: a tunic and some soft pants. She hid her now-clean katana before ducking inside her closet to change.

"How much this time?" Tikki whispered, and a bag of coins was tossed at her in response. The tiny figure ducked out of the way to avoid the bag flying at her.

It made a soft thump as it hit the bed, and coins softly jingled. Tikki landed next to it on the bed. Her tiny red paws counted up the coins. As always, it was less than half of what the client had originally promised. Since the client was usually a woman or child, Sanaz and Chat felt uncomfortable leaving them without much, so they made sure the clients still had plenty of money.

Sanaz came out with her hair half braided, her fingers nimbly navigating the strands as she sat down on the bed beside Tikki. Her face was scrunched up in an expression of displeasure, and her dark eyes looked troubled. Moonlight made her black hair have a purple tint as she tied off the braid with a hair band.

By this point in their friendship, Tikki knew not to push her for answers. That only made her close herself off. Besides, it didn't take her long to share whatever was troubling her.

Freshly braided hair was swept over Sanaz's shoulder. The long braid reached past her waist. The luscious locks were her favorite feature, but Tikki loves her Ladybugs' eyes. They're all beautiful and unique. Sanaz's eyes are dark, almost black like her hair.

"Am I really doing the right thing?" her voice was quiet, barely more than a whisper. Sanaz picked at her nails, a habit Tikki noticed she only did when she was nervous or upset.

Tikki settled down beside her Ladybug. "Well, what do you mean?"

Sanaz sighed, "I mean, is being an assassin really what I'm supposed to be doing?"

Tikki hummed. "I mean, it's one way to do things."

"Huh?" Sanaz blinked.

"I mean, Ladybugs just protect people," Tikki began explaining. "There's no specific formula they have to follow, there's nothing they all have to do besides protect people.

"So my last Ladybug got her miraculous and had to fight a big evil. Maybe the next one will have a string of smaller evils. You actively protect the people of China from their own personal evils. Maybe you won't ever encounter a big threat to China itself, but you're doing a lot of good now protecting people. The ones you've helped, have you ever checked in on them?"

Sanaz slowly shook her head, her dark eyes wide. "I… I never thought about doing so…" she muttered before looking down at her hands.

"Well, try doing that before the mission tomorrow night. Find and watch some of your previous clients. I promise you, you're doing some good, whether it feels like it or not."

Sanaz nodded slowly. "I guess that does sound good…"

She laid down on top of the covers, and Tikki grabbed the extra blanket ono the end of the bed. She heaved it towards her Ladybug, who was curled up in the fetal position at the top of the bed. Tikki tucked it up under Sanaz's chin before pressing a reassuring kiss to her forehead.

"Thank you," Sanaz yawned, clearly exhausted. Her eyes fluttered shut as Tikki lay down at the foot of the bed, where she could watch both Sanaz and the door.

"Good night, Sanaz," Tikki whispered.

There was no response from the troubled girl.

o~O~o

"Your betrothal to Li Myung is official."

A letter was suddenly in front of Sanaz's face, and she took it from her father. Her eyes scanned the opened letter intently. It was the official betrothal letter. She was going to marry Li Myung. So naturally, she'd never met him in her life.

"Your wedding date is set for the end of the month. Your fitting is tomorrow at noon, and I expect you to be there on time. The wedding gifts will arrive within a week." Her father's voice was as cold and unattached as always, a trait Sanaz had come to expect.

"Yes, Father," she gave a slight bow of respect before heading back to her room. Her father never paid attention to her achievements, he was only interested in her brother at his fancy school. He would surely bring their family honor that Sanaz couldn't on her own.

Her brother was a year younger than her, and at 15, he was in some of the best schools China could offer. He would surely bring honor to the family through his own doing, whereas Sanaz could only bring honor through who her husband was. Li Myung came from a fairly powerful family like their own, so Father was pleased with how that had turned out. Of course, he'd never actually tell her that.

Sanaz sighed and closed the door to her room behind her. Tikki peeked out from behind her pillow.

"You're safe, Tikki," she reassured the kwami as she tossed the letter on the bed. "It's just me."

Tikki flew out in a hurry. "You look troubled. What's wrong? Is it still the whole assassin thing?"

Sanaz let out a harsh laugh before sitting down on the bed. "No, I just have an official marriage proposal now. I'm getting married to someone named Li Myung at the end of the month."

Tikki tilted her head to the side in confusion. "Who's that?"

"I have absolutely no idea," Sanaz gestured wildly with her hands out of frustration. "I've never met him before in my life. So naturally, he's the perfect candidate for me to marry."

Tikki quieted for a moment. "So… that's bad, right?"

Sanaz stood up and strode over to the window. The sky was grey, making it a dreary day. It reflected the mood she was in. She wouldn't be surprised if it was raining during the mission tonight.

"Well, the tradition is that the woman doesn't meet the man she's going to marry until the day of their wedding so she can't back out of the arranged marriage. So if I don't know him until we're married, I can't really un-marry him." There was a lounge chair beside the window, so Sanaz sat down in it and sighed. "If I knew anything about him at all, I wouldn't be worried. But also, most of these assassin missions are to kill husbands, usually abusive ones. So what if I end up with someone like that?"

Tikki came to sit on her shoulder reassuringly. "You have the luck of Ladybug on your side! I'm sure it'll all work out. But if you're going to mope, make it fast. I remember you saying yesterday that Kan Leith is coming over with his father, and you're helping serve the tea."

Sanaz groaned, but it was more of a good-natured groan than one of disgust. "He's such a flirt! He always makes sure to talk to me at some point though, so I guess I have that to look forward to…"

Tikki grinned. "There you go! Just focus on that so you can stop moping around by the window!"

"Thank you, Tikki," Sanaz gave her a soft smile. "You always know how to make me feel better."

o~O~o

Ladybug was perched under the windowsill of Mei Beryl's household, where their last mission was. It was winter, so it got dark early. Rain had begun to fall about an hour ago.

Mei Beryl was tucking her five-year-old daughter into her bed for the night. There were smiles on both of their faces, which surprised Ladybug. She figured that after killing their husband and father they'd be more torn up than this, more shaken up, but no…

 _Maybe Tikki was right,_ Ladybug thought.

She watched as Mei Beryl pressed a kiss to her daughter's head. The two giggled for a moment before blowing out the candle on the bedside table. Mei Beryl left the room, closing the door behind her.

"Spying, are we?" A voice whispered in her ear.

Ladybug jumped and drew out her katana. Its sharp blade was at Chat Noir's neck before she realized it was him. She quickly withdrew the sword from his neck.

"I'm so sorry!" she whispered frantically.

Chat Noir stepped back from her. He ran his hands through his dark hair. "I'm fine," he said. "Ready for the mission?"

Ladybug nodded, registering that he didn't want to talk anymore. Rain continued to pour down as they silently made their way to the home of Hsueh Barrow, one of the most powerful men in China. Naturally, he had some enemies, so Ladybug wasn't terribly surprised he was who they had been sent to kill. Powerful men like that always had some flaws.

Maybe ten minutes had passed when the duo landed in front of the house. There wasn't a candle lit in any window. There wasn't a sound to be heard. Everyone was asleep.

Ladybug headed to the front of the house while Chat Noir went around the side. Since the house was bigger, it'd take longer to find Hsueh Barrow. That's why they had started so early.

Rain had soaked her clothes, so Ladybug stopped just before entering the house to wring out parts of her clothes. Getting everything wet wouldn't be helpful at all.

She stepped inside and let her eyes adjust to the darkness after closing the door. Chat Noir was lucky enough to be able to see in the dark without a problem, but Ladybug didn't have that luxury. Instead, she had to rely on her ears more than her eyes.

Even in the dark, she could see that this house was probably the fanciest she'd ever encountered. Delicate carvings done on the finest wood money could buy, adorned with priceless jewels that sparkled dimly in the moonlight. The home itself was massive, but it was done in the same simple three-wing nature as her own house, so Ladybug knew she wouldn't get lost.

The first hallway was empty, so she turned to the right and began making her way down that hallway. Taking in a deep breath to calm her nerves, Ladybug closed her eyes and listened for signs of life. To her surprise, there seemed to be breathing coming from a room only a couple doors down.

She tiptoed down to the room and cracked open the door. She couldn't see the bed yet, so she opened it slightly more. She didn't see anyone at all. There didn't even seem to be a bed in the room.

Her eyes widened as she backed away from the door, but it was too late. Ladybug heard a muffled scream from Chat Noir and moved to run away, but three huge men appeared out of nowhere. They had been concealed in the darkness, and she had missed them entirely. _Stupid,_ she cursed herself and withdrew her katana.

It only took a moment for her to be disarmed. The men were huge, and her thoughts were all running together, and her hands were shaking, and she was just so _scared._ Everything was falling apart right in front of her.

She remembered her yo-yo too late, her hand making its way towards the weapon too late. Stars danced in front of her eyes and her head spun as something hit the back of her head, making her cry out in pain.

Ladybug blacked out for a moment, only regaining consciousness when she realized she had hit the floor. She moaned in pain. "Chat!" she yelled.

"Ladybug!" Chat Noir's voice yelled back in response. He sounded panicked. They must've gotten him too. Whoever these people were, they knew how Ladybug and Chat Noir operated. They knew exactly how they separated to find the victim. This was a well-planned trap. It had worked.

Chat Noir was still fighting when they brought him to where Ladybug was, but he had four men trying to restrain him. She raised herself up but another sharp blow to her head knocked her out for good.

Another man emerged from the shadows, smaller than the rest. He snapped his fingers at one of the men, who picked up Ladybug.

"Knock him out," he ordered, gesturing carelessly to Chat Noir. "But be careful, I need them alive when I bring them to His Imperial Majesty for their trial."

 **So how was it? What was your favorite part? Who's your favorite Ladybug and Chat Noir so far?**

 **Terribly sorry, but there hasn't been much Chat Noir yet! All three stories have been mostly Ladybug-centric so far, but I plan on making the next one focus more on our lovely Chat Noir.**

 **Please review, even if it's just to yell at me to update more or to not leave it on a cliffhanger!**


	7. The Chinese Era Part 2

**Whoo I'm back again! It's been a few months again, sorry about that. Lol I feel like I have to apologize for my lateness every time. Anyway, I've been busy, but things are gonna slow down for a couple months. Hopefully I can work on stuff more though!**

 **I don't own Miraculous Ladybug.**

"Ladybug!"

Sanaz's head pounded. She felt like someone had slammed her head into a wall repeatedly. From what she could remember before she blacked out, that probably wasn't too far off.

When she opened her eyes, Sanaz immediately noticed that her suit was gone. She was dressed in the same clothes she was wearing when she headed out. Her hand flew to her ears, and to her relief she still had both earrings.

"Tikki?" Sanaz hissed, looking at her surroundings.

The floor was filthy and covered in what looked like straw. Iron bars were on three sides of her and the fourth wall was made of dirt like the floor and ceiling. She shuddered as a rat squeaked.

Tikki poked her head out of the pocket of Sanaz's tunic. She looked exhausted, which explained why the transformation wore off.

"Ladybug!" A voice came again from the cell next to her.

"Chat Noir?" she whispered, crawling across the filthy floor to the bars separating her and her partner. She was stopped suddenly by a harsh tug on her wrists, and gasped in pain.

Her wrists were covered by manacles connected to a wall. Another tug proved that they wouldn't give easily.

A boy a few years older than her was in a cell almost exactly like hers in terms of filthiness. He chuckled dryly and stood up. "I had manacles when I woke up, too. My suit wore off when I used cataclysm to get them off, yours wore off when you stayed asleep for another twelve hours or so." He stood by the bars, and Sanaz could see his face more clearly in the dim light. He had black hair on the longer side, dark eyes, and a square jaw. Her Chat Noir, without the mask.

"So now that you're awake, I kept my food to feed our kwamis. It's not what they're used to, but it'll give them enough energy to get us out of here. I can use cataclysm to get your manacles off, then if I refuel i can get rid of the bars too. You can use lucky charm to get us out of here before our trial tonight." He rattled off the plan he'd come up with while she was passed out. Sanaz wasn't sure if she'd ever heard him speak this much before.

"What's your name?" she asked quietly.

He blinked, surprised that was what she first wanted to know. "Li Myung. And you are?"

"Li Myung?" Sanaz asked, shocked. Chat noir and the man she was going to marry were the same?

"Ladybug that's my name, not yours," Li Myung deadpanned.

"Sorry, it's just," she licked her lips, nervous, "you're the man I'm going to marry. I'm Bai Sanaz."

The two sat in silence for a moment before Li Myung burst out laughing. Sanaz giggled a bit, but he didn't stop until tears rolled down his face.

"Well this is just perfect, isn't it?" He wiped the tears off. "Nothing personal, Bai Sanaz, but this is just too ironic. I guess this must have been fate or something."

Sanaz stared at him for a moment. "I guess you do have a point..."

A small black cat flew drowsily out from behind Li Myung. Sanaz could only assume it was his kwami. It rubbed its eyes and yawned loudly.

"Quiet down," it grumbled, blinking it's luminous green eyes. "Unless you'd like to give me that food, of course."

Li Myung rolled his eyes. "Way to make a great first impression, Plagg."

"Plagg?" Tikki flew out from Sanaz's pocket, barely more than a blur as she tackled Plagg in a hug.

Sanaz heard them muttering to each other, but she couldn't hear a word they were saying.

Li Myung gave her a look. "This is the most energetic I've ever seen him. Usually he lays around all day eating my food."

She turned her eyes to the two kwamis reunited at last. They clearly hadn't seen each other in forever, and they leaned toward each other instinctively.

"Plagg," Li Myung interrupted. "Food?"

Plagg glared at his holder, "Not now."

Li Myung looked genuinely surprised. "You were just complaining about how hungry you were."

"Well now I'm not hungry," Plagg snapped.

Tikki flew towards Li Myung cheerfully. "I could use some food! What is there?"

The black cat kwami tried to glare at Tikki, but a small smile came over his face instead. He rolled his eyes, but followed Tikki over to his holder.

The kwamis began to eat like the hadn't eaten in a year. Sanaz gasped as she sat there, and scooted back towards her wall so the chain attached to her hands could have more slack. She felt Li Myung's eyes on her as she grabbed something from the inside of her tunic and began fiddling with the lock around her wrists.

It took a few minutes, but the lock opened and she slipped her hands out. A triumphant smirk was on her face as she brandished a hair pin.

"How do you have that? They searched us for weapons when they brought us in," Li Myung raised an eyebrow.

Sanaz blushes slightly. "They didn't search _everywhere._ " She composed herself enough to wink before turning back around to hide her burning face.

If she hadn't turned around, she would have seen Li Myung looking very much like a fish, a very flustered fish at that. Plagg cackled until Tikki hit him and shushed him, but the devilish black kwami had only managed to make Li Myung's face redder.

The two humans and their kwamis sat in silence until the kwamis finished eating. What little food they left was split between Li Myung and Sanaz, as they'd be at their own homes soon and wouldn't need much anyway.

"Are you ready?" Li Myung asked quietly.

Sanaz nodded, "Tikki, spots on!"

"Plagg, claws out!"

Pink and black light flashed briefly, and Ladybug and Chat Noir stood in their separate cells.

"Now, let's-" Li Myung froze as the pair heard footsteps coming towards their cells.

Neither knew what to do, so Sanaz flattened herself against the wall and prayed the guards would have mercy if they were checking in on them.

"Ladybug and Chat Noir?" A guard stood at the entrance to Ladybug's cell, holding a key ring. A purple butterfly flashed over his eyes, and he nodded before continuing. "I have been sent to free you from these cells. The rest is up to you."

The guard swiftly unlocked the cells and stepped aside to let out a bewildered Ladybug and Chat Noir. "If you follow this hallway and turn left, then go into the third room on the right, you should find your weapons. After that, find the nearest window and get out of here."

Ladybug finally managed to make her mouth move again. "Who sent you?"

"Just know that it's a dear friend of yours, and he's glad to help you in any way he can," the guard smiled. The purple butterfly flashed again. "I have to go now, before people start getting suspicious. I wish you the best of luck, Ladybug and Chat Noir."

The guard continued on his journey through the dungeon, checking in on the other prisoners scattered around. Ladybug and Chat Noir looked at each other before heading the opposite way, following the directions he gave them. At the end of the hallway, they peered around the corner. A guard was turning the corner at the end of that hallway, and when he disappeared from sight, Ladybug and Chat Noir slunk around the corner.

Chat Noir seemed to disappear into the shadows, his green eyes glowing in the dim light. He strode ahead confidently, counting the doors until they reached the third. Ladybug followed him and watched as his ears twitched, listening for movement in the room. She raised an eyebrow as he turned around, and he shook his head. Clear.

Her partner silently pushed the door open while she stayed in the hallway to watch for guards. He had only just returned with their swords, his staff, and her yo-to when they heard a guard begin turning the corner.

Ladybug sheathed her sword and prepared to detain him with her yo-yo while Chat Noir climbed up to the ceiling to surprise the guard. The guard turned the corner and blinked as he saw the assassin standing in the middle of the hallway. He hadn't made a noise before Ladybug's yo-yo was restraining him and Chat Noir had dropped from the ceiling to slit his throat.

Ladybug felt the yo-yo return to her side, and she reattached it to her belt. She turned to Chat Noir and gestured as if to say 'where now?'

Chat Noir shrugged back, pointing down the hallway, continuing away from where they had been held. Ladybug nodded, but Chat Noir didn't move yet. He leaned close, his breath tickling her ear. "Do you trust me?"

She nodded, otherwise frozen due to his close proximity. One of his hands reached past her and took the torch off the wall before dropping it on the ground and extinguishing it. "Stay close to me," he ordered before stepping back.

Ladybug snapped out of her shocked stupor. Her nod this time was more sure as she grabbed the torch several feet down, sensing that they'd use the darkness as a cover to escape. With his night vision, Chat Noir would be able to see, but she'd have to stay close to avoid getting lost or being left behind. They were underground, without any windows like on a regular mission. Not to mention this wasn't even a mission, this was simply a fight for their lives.

Ladybug crushed the burning embers under her foot, stamping out the last of the light in the hallway. Her eyes fought to adjust to the darkness as a gloved hand landed on her shoulder, and she locked eyes with Chat Noir. His hand moved down to hers as they turned the corner. "Don't extinguish all of the lights, that would leave a trail. Leave a couple of hallways untouched," she hissed as they stepped into the next lit hallway.

"Of course, but don't forget we still have our special abilities to use," he shot back, pulling a torch off the wall to snuff out the light.

Ladybug ran ahead to the next one. "True, but those didn't help us much last time, did they? And even if they did, we still have to find our way out of here," she said.

With all the light gone again, Ladybug followed the wall towards the dim light of the next hallway. She heard footsteps coming from the next hallway and drew her katana. Chat Noir's green eyes appeared beside her in an instant, drawing his own weapon. "Two," he whispered, not daring to say more while the advantage of surprise was still on their side. She nodded, knowing he could see. A torch rounded the corner, and the guard holding it dropped it in surprise when he saw the two escaped prisoners out of their cells. The second guard appeared when he heard the torch hit the ground. Ladybug leapt forward, and the first guard only just managed to get his katana up to block hers. They parried back and forth before she gained the upper hand and stabbed him in the stomach. He collapsed on the ground moaning before she slammed the handle of her katana on his head.

Chat Noir had dealt with the other guard in a similar way, and was now grabbing her arm to lead her to the next hallway. Ladybug stamped out the fire on the torch the guard had dropped before hurrying along.

They established an easy pattern of extinguishing torches, Chat Noir leading her to the next hallway, and the occasional killing of guards that caught up with them. Like Ladybug had suggested, however, they left some hallways lit to throw off any pursuers.

Finally, they reached a staircase. Staircases meant up, and that meant there would probably be windows. A grin spread over Ladybug's face as they ran up the stairs. That grin only got wider when a door appeared at the top of the stairs on their right. The assassins shared a look before stepping out into the courtyard of the palace.

And immediately froze. Guards were all over the courtyard, and they were watching the escaped prisoners.

"Good job, Ladybug and Chat Noir. You've made it further than I thought you would, especially having no prior knowledge of the inside of my palace," His Imperial Majesty began. "Granted, this is _my_ palace, and thus you were going to be captured again either way. Unfortunately, this only further proves that you two are traitors to my throne, and thus you will be killed. But not for a while."

The Emperor's eyes glittered darkly in the moonlight. He was shorter than Ladybug would've thought, but that didn't mean anything. He was still the most powerful person in the country, and right now he had he power to kill them where they stood.

Ladybug's back hit the door. She hadn't even realized she was backing up. A torch beside her lit up the door, and she guessed more guards were on the other side of it. They were truly trapped.

Frantically, she began to wrack her brain for ideas as the Emperor blathered on. She'd always been taught to respect him, but with her life on the line, she didn't really care about fickle things like respect.

Ladybug snapped her head up and made eye contact with Chat Noir, a basic plan forming. She tapped her yo-yo, and in response he wiggles his fingers, catching on to her plan. They shared a nod before jumping into action. Chat Noir yelled "Cataclysm!" as Ladybug yelled "Lucky Charm!"

Her partner set out to keep the guards back while Ladybug went to work. She caught her lucky charm in her hands, and grinned. Lucky charm, indeed.

o~O~o

Chat Noir ripped his catastrophic hands through several guards, watching as their bodies decayed in front of his eyes from the Cataclysm. In mere seconds, every guard he had touched was nothing but a pile of dust. When he cast a brief look over his shoulder, Ladybug was crouched on the ground, evidently setting something up.

 _Come on, Ladybug,_ he silently urged as more guards rushed him. His ring beeped, signaling that they were now on the clock. Five minutes before their transformation was up.

He unsheathed his katana to face his new adversaries. He just needed to keep them from reaching Ladybug...

"Chat!" she called from behind him, and he had to move quickly to keep from getting beheaded by a soldier that had almost caught him off guard. "Sorry!" she called apologetically. "Get ready to go, escape plan ground."

Get to Ladybug as fast as he could and they'd use the staff to get as far away from the location as they could. (They had some secret plans made up just in case anything like this ever happened. All of the names were slightly misleading, otherwise they wouldn't exactly be a secret anymore.)

Chat smoothly made the switch from katana to baton and began batting guards away. After a moment, he leapt back to Ladybug, who snatched a torch off the wall, bent down with it to the ground, and then tossed it up onto the roof, where it immediately caught fire. "Go!"

Without questioning her, he wrapped his spare arm around her waist and they soared over the palace on his baton. "Why are we rushing? Shouldn't they be right on our tail?"

He suddenly heard explosions behind them, and turned his head to see white fireworks flying in different directions. Chat gaped for a minute before staring at Ladybug as the white lights gleamed in contrast to her black hair. "That was your plan?"

She nodded smugly. "To set off fireworks that would inevitably set things on fire, as no one would set them off that close to flammable objects? Definitely." She teasingly closed his mouth. "Don't gape, you'll catch flies."

Ladybug never teased him like this. It made Chat even more flustered, and he set them down on top of a house. He cleared his throat and turned away. "Where do- where do you live?"

"I can get there myself. Besides," his ring beeped, "you're about to detransform and so am I."

"Wait," his hand caught her wrist before she could leap away.

"Yes?" Ladybug looked up at Chat Noir.

"We're getting married soon."

"Yes we are," she confirmed.

"I don't feel anything for you," he confessed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"That's okay, I dont either," Ladybug responded.

"But can we agree to be friends?"

"I dont think I'll have any issues with that," Ladybug smiled at him. "And if our feelings change... well, we'll see what happens."

"That sounds like a good plan." Chat Noir stepped back. "And if they do?"

Ladybug shrugged, but he could've sworn he saw a hint of a blush under the mask. "Well, we'll see, won't we?"

They smiled at each other for a moment before Ladybug jokingly saluted and swung away to her home. Chat smiled after her. "We will, my Lady... we will."

o~O~o

Marinette crashed to the floor. "Is that all?" she cried from the floor, struggling to get back up.

Tiki was about to answer when Marinette's mother called upstairs. "You okay, honey?"

"Yeah, I'm fine Mom!" Marionette yelled, jumping up. Her cheeks were flushed from embarrassment, even though Tikki and her mom were both used to her clumsiness.

Her bluebell eyes turned back to Tikki expectantly. "What about their marriage? Do they fall in love? Do they ever get caught again?"

Tiki giggled, "Why don't you just read her letter?"

In a flash, Marinette was in front of Tikki, but her quick movements made her wobble. She managed to catch herself before falling a second time, and eagerly snatched the letter out of Tikki's hand.

Frowning at the letter, Marinette looked up at Tikki. "This one is shorter..."

"It is," Tikki nodded. "Sanaz actually died a fairly common death. Childbirth wasn't an easy process back then, and it killed a lot."

Marinette grew somber as she opened the letter.

 _To all the future Ladybugs,_

 _Tikki has told me to write a letter, and I quite honestly don't know where to begin._

 _Chat Noir and I are still assassins, with several more close calls, but none as close as that first. I've never again made a visit to the palace, lucky for me._

 _Our assassin job has helped us to live as very well-off nobles. That has definitely helped us, as why would nobles ever need to kill people for money? Especially nobles that have just gotten married, and we hadn't even met each other before! (As far as they know, anyway)_

 _Speaking of Li Myung, he's absolutely wonderful. He's always kind to me, and sometimes he even lets himself smile and tease me. We're the best of friends, and the marriage really hasn't changed much. Well, mostly..._

 _I am now pregnant with my second child. I gave birth to Li Reko almost three years ago. That was about two years after Li Myung and I got married._

 _Li Reko is everything I could ask for in a child. I want desperately to give him a sister, though I worry about my own health. As this child inside me grows, I almost feel like it is sapping away at my own health. I have already gotten sick once during this pregnancy, and I can see it tearing apart Li Myung. If I were to pass away, it would be hard on them. Nevertheless, I don't believe I will die. I will stay strong._

Marinette looked up at Tikki. "She was sick?"

"She was," Tikki confirmed, floating over to the window. She gazed out quietly, taking a moment before speaking again. "She passed away after giving birth to Li Kachina. After that, Li Myung was never the same. I'm not sure what happened to him, as he gave up the cat and ladybug miraculouses shortly after Li Sanaz's death."

Marinette nodded and looked back down at the last two lines of the letter.

 _Until next time,_

 _Li Sanaz_

 **Aaand done! This is the end of the Chinese era! I know, I know, it's quite a bit shorter than my Egyptian Era. However, we're going back to Ancient Greece next!**

 **Please please please read and review!**


	8. The Greek Era Part 1

**It's been a while again! I've had this story going for almost a year, and I've only posted 8 chapters! Wow I'm wonderful. I've been kinda busy wrapping up the end of the school year. I have three finals left to take tomorrow and then I'm done! Hope you enjoy this subpar chapter :)**

"One of the previous Chat Noirs was _Heracles?"_ Adrien cried.

Plagg shoved more cheese down his throat before answering. "Yep."

Adrien stared at the gluttonous cat kwami, waiting for him to continue.

That hope soon died as Plagg continued eating.

"Plagg!" Adrien groaned, slumping down in his chair.

"Adrien!" Plagg mocked in a high pitched voice.

Adrien rolled his eyes at the insufferable kwami. "Can I hear the story?"

Plagg blinked slowly as he finished off his cheese. "Oh... sure, kid." He laid down on the table and stared at the ceiling. "Once upon a time..."

o~O~o

Queen Hippolyta of the Amazons knelt before her father, Ares, the god of war. It wasn't often that she got a visit from him, it only happened when there was something important. God's were somewhat self-centered, and mortal issues often had no impact on them. Unless, of course, they were betting on petty mortal affairs. That affected them.

"Rise, daughter," Ares commanded. "I have brought a gift, one that I hope will suit you well."

"A gift?" Hippolyta was astonished. A visit as well as a gift? That was unheard of! She'd never heard Ares speak so formally either...

"Yes. It's a great honor for me to give this to you, but Zeus is making me have you give something else to _his_ kid, Heracles," Ares rolled his eyes at that.

Hippolyta scoffed. "And why can't the great Heracles get it himself? He is a great warrior, shouldn't-"

"Don't finish that. I said the same thing, but Zeus insisted it be done." Another eye roll. "These are historical artifacts, so don't break them. I'm pretty sure they're durable, but you never know."

"Of course," Hippolyta nodded. "Where did you get them?"

"A woman on Earth have them to me. She requested I find two suitable heroes. Since I was the one that received them, I got to choose who got one."

"And naturally, Zeus got to pick the other," Hippolyta finished for him. She understood the ways of the king of the gods. Very self-motivated, but she'd never say as much out loud. That would probably result in certain death.

Ares held out two boxes for Hippolyta to take. "You get first pick, though."

o~O~o

Heracles stared at the woman in front of him. Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons. She had summoned him to her court, apparently for something very urgent.

He crossed his large arms over his chest and sighed. "I know you are a great warrior, Queen Hippolyta, but I am more than capable of taking care of _my_ issues by myself," he grumbled.

He was the great Heracles! The son of Zeus himself! His incredible strength had saved countless lives! But now that he slaughtered his family, he had to complete tasks to pay for his crimes. There were reports of a lion whose flesh could not be penetrated by any mortal weapon.

Hippolyta tossed her short blonde hair over her shoulder and scoffed. "The Amazons are known for their fighting prowess. I am their Queen, as you have said, and am the most qualified and worthy to assist you in your mission. I come bearing a gift from my father, the god Ares."

In her outstretched palm was a box that looked like it came from an entirely different country. Heracles cautiously took the box and opened it, revealing a plain silver ring.

"It is the miraculous of the cat, and will aid us as we fight against our foes. Mine is that of a ladybug." Hippolyta explained, fingering the silver gems in her ears.

Heracles scoffed at the ring. "I am the great Heracles! I don't need a silly cat ring to help me!" He began to close the box.

Hippolyta scowled darkly. "You are a fool, Heracles, if you give away the gift of a god himself."

The Queen snatched the box back from him, her blue eyes glittering with anger. "Your overconfidence will be the end of you someday."

Rolling his eyes, Heracles turned his back on the Queen of the Amazons. "If I needed help, I would have asked for it. Now if you would excuse me, I have a lion to kill."

With that, Heracles left the great warrior behind.

o~O~o

What did Heracles have to run into? A giant black lion. Just his luck. And what's even better than a giant black lion? A giant black lion with a pelt that can't be marred.

"Damnit!" Heracles yelled as he used his last arrow. In his frustration, he threw the bow to the side. The Nemean Lion still had no marks on its skin, no bloodstains on its fur, and it was still going strong. So was Heracles, but his frustration was making him irrational.

He had already broken an entire quiver of his arrows and one of his swords. The unnatural lion was strong enough to put up a fight if he tried to take it down with just his hands. Its impenetrable coat was a nuisance, and he almost wished he had taken that stupid ring. Maybe its 'wonderful powers' would be good against this mythical beast.

The lion swiped a massive paw at Heracles, and he caught it easily. The real challenge was trying to throw the lion somewhere without it fighting back. At least they were in the middle of a giant field of nothing...

He hoisted the lion above his head in an easy gesture, still barely sweating from exertion. He threw the lion to the ground savagely, hoping that eventually the lion's organs would break even if his skin wouldn't.

Despite his best attempts, the Nemean Lion got right back up again. Heracles let out a primal roar, and the two were at it again.

A laugh came from the side. It was a taunting laugh, one that Heracles recognized. He gritted his teeth.

"Not now, Hippolyta," he called as the lion swiped at his arm.

"Actually, it's Ladybug right now."

Heracles whipped his head to the side and immediately cried out in pain. When Hippolyta distracted him, the lion managed to sink his claws into his skin. Three long gashes ran down his arm and began to bleed. Shit.

Hippolyta rolled her eyes and strolled down towards Heracles. "Eyes on the lion - unless you want the ring, of course."

The arrogant son of Zeus was about to refuse again when a yo-yo flew from Hippolyta's hand and ensnared the lion.

"... fine," he conceded. He was not giving up, he was just going to... try a new approach, that's all. Nothing more. The great Heracles wasn't giving up.

A large smirk grew on Hippolyta's face. "Catch," she said, tossing the box at Heracles. He caught it, but continued looking at the Queen as she distracted the lion.

Hippolyta - or, Ladybug - was wearing a red chiton covered in black spots, resembling a ladybug. She had simple silver armor on her chest and back, and silver sandals adorning her feet. Her blonde hair was held in place under a silver helmet. There was a broadsword on her back, but she was using the spotted yo-yo as she fought the lion, having observed his impenetrable skin.

The Nemean Lion tried to lunge at Heracles, but Ladybug gritted her teeth and stood her ground. Her heels dug into the ground as all of her muscles strained. "Can you hurry it up?" she snapped.

The lid of the box was open in a flash, and a tiny black cat popped out. The cat opened its vivid green eyes and yawned. "What-"

"How do I activate this thing?" Heracles demanded in a gruff voice. He had no time for games. This was his kill, and he'd never let Hippolyta - Ladybug - whoever she was beat him to it.

The black cat rolled its eyes. "Say cataclysm and you can destroy anything you touch but you have to detransform in five minutes. You get a suit but can add anything to it that you'd like. Claws out to transform, claws in to go back. Got-"

"Claws out." The black cat was sucked into the ring and it turned black. Heracles' tunic disappeared, leaving him without a shirt. His fustanella*** turned from its regular bronze color to black. The metal on his legs was black with green accents, as well as the sandals. It left a lot of skin unprotected, which was strange, but Heracles had to go with it at that point.

Heracles jumped right back into battle as Ladybug continued to struggle with containing the lion.

"Do you have a plan?" Ladybug called.

Heracles scoffed. "Of course not, I just got this stupid ring."

He noticed a black stick at his side. He pulled it out of the loop connecting it to his belt, and looked at it. It didn't look special at all...

His eyes widened as it extended to be a staff slightly taller than him. Heracles gave it an experimental spin, testing out his new weapon. It wasn't the kind of weapon that he normally used, but that was okay. It wasn't like his normal weapons were working at the moment, anyway.

"Well if you had just taken the box earlier, you could have already gotten used to that 'stupid ring,'" Ladybug mocked. "But this is your beast, so you had come up with a plan before I do, otherwise mine is going to involve kicking your ass after I kill this beast."

Heracles growled. "Fine then. Use your special power or whatever, and I'll use mine. We'll go from there."

He barely heard Ladybug yell, "That's barely even the foundation of a plan!" before he was yelling, "Cataclysm!"

His hand was covered in a dark aura, one that would destroy whatever it touched - if he had heard the cat properly. It would be simple to just touch the Nemean Lion and it would crumble to dust. However, he was hoping to skin it. An impenetrable coat was a wonderful prize indeed...

Hippolyta still had the lion ensnared in her weapon. Heracles groaned in annoyance. She still hadn't done anything? Of course it always had to be him...

The great warrior slammed his hand down on the ground. A giant crack appeared under the lion, who fell in and got stuck. The lion roared in indignation and swung its head around.

Ladybug retracted her yo-yo. "Lucky charm!" she yelled, and a spotted arrow fell down from the sky.

"This thing is impenetrable, remember, Bug?" Heracles taunted her.

"Shoot the arrow into its mouth," she ordered.

Heracles laughed, "You are trying to give _me-"_

Oh shit. He made her angry. Steam was pouring out of her ears. Death was in her blue eyes. That's when Heracles knew he'd gone too far.

The angry woman stalked over to him, ignoring the roaring lion beside them. "If you don't take this arrow, I will shove it up your ass. Use your bow and this arrow to shoot it in the mouth."

Bewildered, Heracles walked over to his bow and picked it up. He returned to Ladybug, who handed him the arrow. He loaded it and waited for the lion to roar again. When it's mouth was wide open, he shot the arrow into the lion's gaping maw.

The Nemean Lion's Eyes bugged out of its head before it drooped down, dead.

Heracles smirked. Of course he killed the beast. Another conquest to add to his list of very impressive accomplishments. And the Queen hadn't done much, so he'd get practically full credit for the kill. And saving a town from the beast that terrorized it.

The Nemean Lion crumbled to a golden dust, leaving behind only it's black pelt and the spotted arrow. Heracles carefully grabbed the pelt, leaving the arrow behind. Hippolyta was fully capable of getting the arrow for herself. The indestructible pelt, however, was all his. He had earned it.

The pelt was soft as he wrapped it around his bare chest. If he hadn't fought the beast himself, he would not have guessed that it was impenetrable. Luckily for him though, he had, and now he had a lovely new addition to this costume.

Hippolyta cleared her throat. "You're welcome?" She stooped to pick up the arrow. "Miraculous Ladybug!" She yelled, throwing it in the air. It exploded in a burst of light, and the rift in the ground healed, leaving only a faint scar where it was.

" _You're welcome?"_ Heracles asked incredulously. The nerve of that woman...

"Yes, of course! I gave you the ring! I got you an arrow! I saved your sorry butt!" Hippolyta ranted angrily, her blonde hair swishing around her head as she gestured wildly. "Without me, you probably would have died!"

Heracles laughed. "I would have been fine, _Princess."_

In a moment, she was in front of him. The Queen of the Amazons slapped Heracles right across the face. "I am a Queen, and you are nothing but a self-centered warrior."

o~O~o

Plagg laid down on the desk in Adrien's room. "'Night."

"Plagg, it's midday and you haven't finished the story!"

The kwami's snores shortly followed. Adrien groaned and got up to leave his room. Why hadn't he gotten a more agreeable kwami?

 *****fustanella = Basically it's a kilt/skirt for dudes in the military.**

 **So why did Heracles go by Heracles during that fight scene where he was obviously Chat Noir? He interrupted Plagg before he even knew what his name was supposed to be. Why no masks? They don't really need them. There's no greater foe, and Heracles is supposed to be vanquishing these beasts anyway. Will there be any love? Heck no, but it sure is fun to make these two argue.**

 **This story, actually, is more me exploring their relationship. Not as a couple, like I just said, but now they argue a lot, and I'm hoping to move them past that. Writing Heracles as an arrogant bastard was very fun though, and I hope you guys can't stand him!**

 **I really hope to update a bit more when school is finally out for a while! The main reason I don't is because I'm busy writing other things. I know I only have the one other one shot, but I often enjoy writing stories just for fun that will likely never see the light of day.**

 **I will see y'all next time! Please review! I love you all!**


	9. The Greek Era Part 2

**Whoa! I've updated! I'm just as surprised as you guys are. Really, this never happens. Happy summer, y'all!**

It was the next day before Adrien could get Plagg awake and willing enough to tell him more about Heracles. Who was apparently a huge jerk.

"Of course he was, kid. With muscles that size, he's gotta have an ego at least twice that."

Adrien had to admit that the cat had a point.

"But does he at least _change?"_ Adrien asked. "It's not a very good story if he doesn't at least become a better person."

Plagg considered the question. "Not really," he answered after a moment.

Adrien stared at the gluttonous kwami. "Are you serious?"

Plagg sat down on the back of the couch, right by Adrien's head. "Pretty much."

Adrien considered this. Heracles was definitely not the hero he saw in the movie... and besides, why have a movie with Greek gods but the name of the Roman man? Heracles was Greek, Hercules was Roman. That didn't make any sense at all. Disney needed to look more closely at their mythology.

Yes, Adrien was a sucker for a good romance movie. And _yes,_ Hercules does count as a good romance movie. Disney was quality stuff, despite their ignorance in the mythology department.

"So does Hippolyta still help him out?" he finally asked.

"Well, after a little prodding from her sister, she eventually goes after Heracles to make sure he doesn't end up killing himself. His second task was to defeat the Lernaean Hydra..."

o~O~o

After a lion with an impenetrable coat, what had to come next? A hydra. With eight heads. That spit acid.

Maybe Heracles should stop pissing people off.

This one found him by the ocean. It had crawled out of a cave by the shore. Like a demon crawling it's way up from the underworld. A sandy beach was obviously the perfect spot for a fight. The way it made his feet slide around...

This was probably Hera's work. She hated him a lot. Probably because Zeus had cheated on her (again), and that's where Heracles came from. He'd feel bad if she wasn't a massive bitch.

Heracles grabbed his sword from his back. His new lion coat would protect him from the acidic spray, and hopefully this one could be taken down with just some swordplay. A quick and easy one.

Acid shot by Heracles' head. He had gotten distracted.

Heracles dodged the next several acid sprays, then leapt through the air and easily lopped off one of its heads. The head landed by his feet as he panted. The other seven heads swiveled toward him, hissing threateningly. The hydra was a purple color, and much taller than the very large Heracles. They had razor sharp teeth, and the acid was a bright green color. Lethal to anyone who touched it.

The hydra didn't move for a moment, just bared its teeth and hissed. The head stained the sand with blood. Heracles watched in horror as the bloody stump began moving. Where there used to be one head, two grew back in its place.

Heracles had a lot of things to say about that, and all of them used his very vulgar vocabulary.

"Wow, he's big," a voice came from a rise in the sand. He had to hold back a groan. Using the ring she had given him was already a sign of weakness - he didn't need a partner!

He turned to see Ladybug behind him. "Don't I get a cool name too?"

Ladybug raised an eyebrow at him. "You mean your kwami never told you?"

Heracles held up the lion pelt to deflect another shot of acid. "My kwami ate all of my cheese," he deadpanned, "and then he fell asleep."

His 'partner' snickered at that. "You're Chat Noir, according to my kwami."

Chat Noir looked down at his black outfit, along with the large black cat that acted as a cape/shield/badass accessory. That made sense.

The hydra shot acid at Ladybug this time, but she deflected it with a spin of her yo-yo. "Have you tried cutting off the heads?"

Chat Noir threw the severed head at her in response, choosing to launch himself back at the hydra, battling its teeth with his sword. The Queen let out a shriek of surprise. Chat Noir felt his spirits lift a little at that. "They only grow back, M'Lady. Except there's two instead of one."

He could feel Ladybug's cold glare as he mocked her role as Queen of the Amazons.

"Shouldn't there be one mortal head then? One that doesn't multiply?" Ladybug asked, slinging her yo-yo at one of the heads, throwing off the balance of the beast. "Try this one."

Chat Noir rolled his eyes, but complied anyway. While the hydra struggled to regain its balance, he had no acid to dodge. He aimed for the head that Ladybug had chosen with his sword, and cut it off cleanly.

The disembodied purple head fell to the ground beside Chat Noir, making a squelching noise as it hit the ground. Ladybug's yo-yo returned to her once there was nothing to keep it anchored on the empty neck. The hydra retreated slightly to do what Heracles knew it would do - regrow its lost head, along with an extra. Ten heads now snarled at Ladybug and Chat Noir. Chat Noir hastily retreated, not wishing to get sprayed with acid. The heads began hissing again, and Chat felt acid hit the pelt on his back as he returned to Ladybug's side.

Ladybug's blue eyes were wide as she took in the hydra. "I thought-"

"Well think again," Chat growled, crouching down to the ground, like a cat ready to pounce.

Ignoring his silently steaming partner beside him, Chat handed her his bow and set of arrows. "Aim for its eyes," he ordered, "and please, _try_ to come up with something useful, darling."

With that last insult, Chat Noir leapt back down to fight back the hydra.

Ladybug stared at the bow he left her. It was monstrous! Surely he didn't believe she would be able to use it?

... knowing that bastard, however, he most certainly did.

Sighing, Ladybug grabbed her own bow and arrows. Tikki had told her that using Lucky Charm was really only when there was no other way, since she would transform back into herself within five minutes. Maybe after shooting a few of the hydra's eyes she'd need to use it...

She released a steady breath, calming herself as she loaded and drew the bow back. Aiming carefully, Ladybug watched Chat Noir taunt the massive beast. All ten heads hissed down at him, shooting its vile green acid.

After a moment, Ladybug released the arrow, sending it straight into the eye of one of the heads. It shrieked in pain, recoiling as she loaded another arrow and did the same thing.

It was a monotonous system, just loading and shooting. It didn't always hit the eyes, but she had done plenty of damage by the time she finally ran out of arrows. However, it only made the hydra angrier, and now two heads were totally blind as it rampaged in the sand, causing Chat Noir to stumble in the sand as he avoided being squashed. If it weren't for the fact that she was supposed to be his partner, Ladybug would have found that very hilarious. (Well - she did anyway.)

Ladybug sighed and tossed the bow and empty quiver into the sand. It would only burden her at this point.

"Lucky Charm!" she yelled, using her yo-yo to summon an item.

Ladybug looked at what dropped down and grinned. She knew exactly how to defeat this beast.

Chat Noir yelled as a drop of acid fell on his arm, burning the flesh. Ladybug had done a lovely job of enraging the hydra, not stopping it. Couldn't his partner at least be helpful?

"CUT OFF A HEAD!"

"Are you crazy?" he yelled at Ladybug. "We've tried that before, and it clearly didn't work!"

"JUST DO IT!" Ladybug yelled.

Chat Noir sighed, unhappy that she was ordering him around like that. What gave her the right?

Nonetheless, he followed her order and cut off one of the heads. The one he cut off still had both eyes, but it had an arrow stuck in its nostril. The hydra began to retreat, but a red blur came out of nowhere and landed on the empty neck. Chat Noir stared at Ladybug cauterized the empty neck of the hydra with a burning torch.

When she leapt off, only nine heads swiveled to hiss at her. The tenth didn't grow back.

Chat Noir turned to gape at his partner. Maybe she was useful for something after all...

Another beast began to emerge from the back of the cave. Probably Hera's doing, since they'd just figured out how to take down the hydra. It moved strangely, and he heard a scuttling noise as it maneuvered its way across the sand.

"A crab?" Ladybug deadpanned as she cauterized another head.

"Well, that is what it's called," Chat Noir shot back.

Ladybug rolled her eyes. "I guess I'm taking the crab, then, and you finish off the hydra."

"Then go," Heracles grunted as he dodged an acid shot. He'd have to make sure to target that head next...

Ladybug swung onto the back of the giant crab, silently cursing Hera. What a miserable goddess...

The crab tried to throw her off, then started attempting to snap her in half with its claws. She grabbed her sword and began sawing into its shell, hoping that her enhanced strength because of the miraculous would aid her. It did, but with her hands occupied, the crab screeched in pain and threw her off.

Ladybug landed on the ground and crouched to think up a new plan. Her time was running out, so she threw her yo-yo back at the crab's claw and landed back on its back. She glanced up briefly and caught sight of Chat Noir, who was busy cauterizing another neck, with three heads left to cut off.

The second claw came at her then, and Ladybug lashed out with her sword. She cut part of the claw off in one fell swoop, and it fell to the ground. The crab was angrier than ever though, and Ladybug used her sword to then stab it in one of its eyes.

Before she knew it, she was flying through the air again, this time landing roughly on her back. Ladybug gasped for breath as the crab came towards her again, a sticky liquid leaking from its punctured eye. It scuttled menacingly across the sand. Ladybug had never thought of crabs as menacing before, but she'd also never encountered a crab as big as the hydra.

Her earrings beeped, showing that she was very, very low on time indeed. She crouched on the ground as the crab came towards her again, but this time she ducked under the crab, letting her sword rake through its softer underside as it scuttled over her. She rolled out of the way as some of the legs collapsed, and the giant crab rolled over, exposing its underside entirely.

Chat Noir appeared by her side, looking somewhat shocked. "You did it," he marveled, having the audacity to look surprised.

Ladybug punched him in the face.

o~O~o

Heracles and Hippolyta stood in front of the fallen hydra in their regular forms. Hippolyta had just enough time to fix everything before changing back.

Tikki flew into Plagg's face. "He didn't even know his name?"

Plagg sighed, "You try dealing with him, Tikki. It's like working with a self-absorbed rock."

"Hey! I resent that!"

Hippolyta raises an eyebrow at Heracles. "Really?"

The great hero crossed his arms, offended. "I will have you know-"

"Blah, blah, blah - keep your fights to yourself," Plagg interrupted. "I was only kidding."

"All of you need to stop it!" Tikki scolded, her tiny body coming to float in front of all of them.

"Listen, you are supposed to be a team!" Tikki began pleading, looking at Heracles and Hippolyta.

"I work solo," Heracles insisted, beginning to turn away. He was still angry that she had punched him. He was only surprised because she hadn't needed any help!

"You gave that up as soon as you put on that ring. Now you are no longer just Heracles, you are also Chat Noir, who is Ladybug's teammate," Tikki said sternly. Heracles thought it was funny. Did she think she was his mother?

Heracles sighed, turning to argue with the small ladybug. Despite living in a world with Greek gods, that's not something he ever saw himself doing.

"Tikki, I work alone. This was a great gift and all, but I'm not supposed to have a partner to complete these tasks anyway! They're _my_ punishment, and mine alone. I didn't ask for a partner."

Queen Hippolyta grabbed his arm. "Believe me, I'm not thrilled about working with you either. However, this was your _father's_ idea, not mine," she laughed. "I am ready for the day I don't have to-"

"Can you agree to at least work together?" Tikki rushes to cut off Hippolyta, who was surely going to ruin everything with her quick temper. For a Queen, she sure did jump to conclusions and make impulsive decisions quite often...

"On one condition," Heracles said. His face was stern as he looked at Hippolyta. "I get to do two labors by myself."

Hippolyta looked into the mighty hero's cold brown eyes. "Deal," she answered, holding her hand out for him to shake.

The two shook on the deal, which was quite possibly one of the few agreements they'd ever had.

"I assume you will want this next labor all to yourself then?" Hippolyta asked.

Heracles grinned wryly, "You assume correctly, Queen."

o~O~o

Almost a year down the road, Hippolyta sat in her lavishly furnished bedroom. Her robes were neat, a golden crown sat on her head, and she watched out a window, wondering when she'd be able to go on adventures again.

"It's been a while, hasn't it," Tikki remarked sadly, flying over to where Queen Hippolyta stared absentmindedly.

Sighing, the Queen took off her crown and leaned back in her chair. "That wretched deal..." she muttered, stretching her arms above her head. "What's he even been doing, anyway?"

"My Lady, rumor has it that Heracles has just been spotted," a soft voice came from the doorway. It was a new recruit, with a meek appearance. Hippolyta briefly felt sorry for the girl. She had probably had a hard life before she came here, where she would be trained as a warrior and join her fellow Amazon warriors. An all-female group of warriors. Hippolyta's pride and joy.

Hippolyta put her crown back on and stood, forcing her face into a mask of regality. "And what has he been doing?"

The girl bowed her head, which was full of curly hair. Hippolyta noted that she was a bit heavier than most recruits, but that meant nothing here. "He has spent a year chasing the Cerynitian hind, my lady."

"Thank you," Hippolyta said, effectively dismissing the girl.

As soon as she heard the door shut, Hippolyta couldn't take it anymore. She burst into laughed, slumping back into her chair by the window. She heard small snickers from Tikki, as well, but Tikki hasn't been in the area for long and probably didn't even know what a hind was.

"Tikki, he - he chased a _deer_ for an entire _year!"_

The two laughed together at the unfortunate sadness of the 'great hero's' incompetence when he was all by himself.

o~O~o

Chat Noir looked up at Ladybug as she knelt beside him. His eyes were filled with grief as he looked at the body of his beloved teacher, Chiron, in front of him. A band of centaurs had attacked while he was having dinner, and he had shot several with arrows poisoned with the hydra's blood. Somehow Chiron had gotten involved, and just a mere scratch had sent him to his deathbed. He would never come back. Not only that, but his host, Pholus, also got involved and got hit with another arrow, leading to his death as well.

It made Chat Noir wonder if this bad luck thing was really worth it.

Ladybug knelt beside him as he mourned, unsure of what to do. It looked like he hadn't gotten the chance to complete his next task yet - a boar, if she had heard correctly.

After several minutes of silence, Ladybug sighed. "Look," she began quietly, "I'm sorry we got off to a rough start. I'm still not entirely thrilled about this either, but can we at least agree to make this work?"

"And?" Chat Noir mumbled, his head still bowed.

"Uhh..." Ladybug wasn't really sure what else to say. She'd been given orders and she'd followed them. What else did she have to apologize for?

Chat Noir lifted his head and chuckled slightly. She'd forgotten that his eyes changed from brown to green when he transformed. The lion's eyes also turned green, which was very creepy when she thought about it.

"My face?" He grabbed her hand and put it against his left cheek. "You punched me," he grinned, and Ladybug wanted to punch him again.

"That was a year ago!" she insisted, taking her hand away from his rough cheek. "Surely you've forgotten-"

Then the great hero began to laugh. While Ladybug sat there quietly fuming, Chat Noir laughed. She huffed in annoyance, which only caused him to laugh more.

Chat Noir stood, his large shoulders still shaking with laughter. "Come now, Ladybug. Of course I forgive you. It's just fun to watch you squirm," he winked, and extended his hand for her to take.

Ladybug ignored his flirtatious comment. If he was going to be an ass or a flirt, she'd rather him be a flirt. "Where are we going?"

She took his hand, which was much larger than hers. Everything about him was _huge,_ but it also probably had to be for him to be that strong.

"We have a boar to catch," he smirked.

 **That wraps up part 2! Next will be me wrapping up the rest of the 12 labors of Heracles, which may result in an extra-long chapter, I'm not sure yet. But hey! It's summer, so I've got more time to write! Hopefully you'll be seeing me again soon!**

 **Next we'll travel over to Rome, where our Miraculous duo will try to track down a ruthless serial killer...**

 **I hope you guys are having a wonderful summer, and please don't forget to review!**


	10. The Greek Era Part 3

**So like... not bad, right? Another update! And this is THE LONGEST chapter I have EVER WRITTEN. I'm so proud of myself. I just gotta get this out here now so I can ramble about my story at the bottom.**

Queen Hippolyta fell into step beside Heracles as he walked away from the city ruled by King Eurystheus, the man that sent Heracles out on his labors. His palace was large and glittered with precious metals and gorgeous marble. It was built overlooking the ocean, with buildings from the city lining the cliffs where waves crashed, sending sprays of the ocean high into the air. Hippolyta loved the ocean - the salty taste in the air, the sting of the water on your face, the feel of sand under your toes. It was like magic, and she'd sometimes wondered if she was really a child of Poseidon instead of Ares.

Being a child of Ares wasn't bad, though. Sure, she was pretty competitive, and yeah, she also had a quick temper, but it also prepared her for being part of the Amazons. Fighting was built into her blood, and lately she'd been forcing herself to take a step back and think before she jumped into the heat of battle.

"Hippolyta!" Heracles barked, walking faster away from the city. He clearly wasn't in a good mood, but he never was after visiting King Eurystheus. The King was terrified of him, and after turning in the Nemean Lion, Heracles was no longer allowed to enter his palace, or even the city. Hippolyta technically wasn't supposed to be helping him, so she always stayed back as he reported on his latest achievement and received his newest task. Evidently, he was not please about this one.

Heracles was still grumbling when she reached him, his longer legs helping him move much faster than her, and she had to move quickly to stay beside him. His hands kept clenching at his sides, another obvious sign of his frustration. After easily catching the boar, he'd started letting her in more. She wasn't just an annoying gnat buzzing in his ear. Now, she was important, even if they'd only just managed to get to this point.

"What's the next task?" Hippolyta asked, the quick pace not bothering her due to her athleticism.

Heracles stopped short and growled before answering. "I'm being sent as a _maid_ to clean out a bunch of _stables."_

The Queen winced. That had to hurt his pride. Unsurprisingly, Heracles was a very prideful man, due to his heroics and great strength.

"What stables?" she asked curiously as he began walking again.

Without responding, he thrust a piece of paper at her. She took it, and her eyes scanned over the words. The Augean Stables, which didn't seem to be too far from here. The main catch was that they had to be cleaned in only one day. Technically two, but they would have to take today to travel, and then when they arrived tomorrow they'd be able to work. They had to be done by sundown tomorrow, and there was an implied 'or else.'

Hippolyta slipped the paper into the pocket of her tunic, shrugging. "Doesn't seem to bad," she said nonchalantly.

Heracles scoffed, finally looking over at her. Or rather, down at her, since she was several inches shorter. "This is the work of _slaves,_ Hippolyta, not heroes like us."

"Well, after we do it, maybe the world will need more heroes like us," Hippolyta smiled. Surely cleaning stables couldn't be that bad.

o~O~o

 **LABOR 5 - THE AUGEAN STABLES**

"Shit."

That was the first thing either of them said, and they weren't wrong. They had arrived at a massive ranch, and all had seemed well. Cows grazed for kilometers, there was a lovely ranch house, and the green grass shone in the light. Crops were planted in the fields not occupied by horses, and wildflowers grew everywhere. She could see the stables off in the distance. There were five of them, and a beautiful river ran beside them. The entire place was gorgeous, the kind of place Hippolyta might live at when she stopped being an Amazon.

Of course things couldn't be that easy.

The stables were a whole different world. Everything was absolutely filthy. Cow shit covered the ground, and some was even smeared on the walls. The stench was overpowering, and Ladybug and Chat Noir slapped hands over their mouths as a makeshift filter. It was so powerful that they could taste it.

Their guide chuckled as he watched them, his mouth and nose covered with a cloth tied around his head. "Sundown," he reminded them. With that, he sauntered away, happy that he wouldn't have to do this special chore.

"Bastard," Ladybug muttered under her breath. The sun shone high above them, hot on their backs. Ladybug already felt sweat trickle down the side of her face, and she wiped it off.

She reached down and ripped a chunk of her chiton off before tying it around her face, freeing her hands. Chat Noir did the same with the material from his shirt, and Ladybug caught an eyeful of his legendary muscles.

"How are we supposed to do this?" She asked, frustrated with the whole thing. They were constantly being sent to clean up messes that weren't their own. Sure, Heracles deserved this, but what did she ever do? She was the Queen of the Amazons. She hadn't killed her family. Why did the gods send people out to clean up their messes?

Chat Noir stared at the mess in front of them. "Shovel it into a big pile," he ordered, grabbing one of the shovels that their guide had left leaning on the fence.

Ladybug did as he ordered, grimacing as she began scooping the poop into a large pile. The sun slowly creeped its way across the sky as the pair finished making a pile from the one stable. By the time they were done, they had cleaned out an entire stable, with a pile of the crap in the middle. Flies swarmed around it, and Ladybug could practically see the stench.

"Cataclysm!" Chat Noir yelled before touching their pile of the cow crap. It dissolved, cleaning out one of the stables entirely.

Ladybug was about to congratulate him when his ring beeped. "Chat, we still have four stables!"

Chat Noir slumped slightly in defeat, but she knew he was thinking. He'd managed to get himself out of tricky situations before, and this would surely be no different.

"Lucky Charm!" Ladybu yelled, knowing that it was time. Besides, he had only five minutes left, so it didn't matter too much if she didn't either.

A sand dollar fell down, and Ladybug knew exactly what to do. She'd made deals with minor river gods before. All they needed was a sand dollar to cleanse their river, even though this one didn't need cleansing yet. The river ran right alongside the stables, which was perfect for her plan. It was exactly what her Lucky Charm was showing her, too.

She turned on her heel and marched down to the river, leaving Chat Noir to trail along behind her. She ignored his persistent questions and instead sat by the side of the river. She brandished the sand dollar and called out to the river god.

A naiad rose up, lingering just under the water. Ladybug waved the sand dollar at her, and her face lit up. The naiad showed off her deathly sharp teeth in a wide grin. Her blue hair floated under water, and a blue hand reached up to the surface to accept the offering.

Ladybug held up one finger. "I need you to use your river to clean out these stables. After that, you can have the sand dollar."

It was a reasonable barter. Make the river disgusting only to have it cleaned than ever. The naiad paused only for a moment before disappearing from sight.

Chat Noir laughed. "Your plan didn't work," he mocked. "Now we're doomed for sure."

Ladybug didn't even bother answering him this time. She simply moved out of the way, far off to the side. The sand dollar was securely in her grasp.

A giant wave rose up, and Chat Noir gaped up at it. He realized too late that he should move, and was only barely able to dive out of the way. He was soaked by the spray of the water as it washed over the remaining stables, giving them and their inhabitants their first bath ever. The filth was dragged into the river and washed away, leaving no trace of it in the stables.

The original naiad stepped out of the water, a dress that looked made of water itself covering her. Her sea green eyes sparkled as she looked towards Ladybug.

"Thank you," Ladybug said. "Your kindness means a lot."

The naiad happily accepted the sand dollar and closed her eyes. When nothing happened, she angrily turned towards Ladybug. Another wave of water rose menacingly, and Chat Noir could see other naiads just under the surface. He stood quickly and moved towards the naiad, but she hissed at him and he backed off.

"Ladybug?" He asked worriedly, knowing their anger was mostly directed at her. He'd almost grown to like his partner, but he'd never say it out loud.

There was panic in her blue eyes as she looked at the naiad. "Please, let me have it. If I cant make it work, then dispose of me however you want." She reaches her hand out pleadingly.

Another hiss came from the central naiad, as if to say that there were much worse things that could happen to her besides death, but she handed over the sand dollar anyway. The wave still loomed over them, and at a closer look, Chat Noir could see debris from the cleaning of the stables floating in it. He grimaced and looked back at Ladybug.

Her eyes were closed in a brief prayer, probably to her father. "Miraculous Ladybug!" she yelled. Ladybug threw the sand dollar in the air, and a bunch of ladybugs came out of nowhere. They flew past Chat Noir, repairing his shirt as well as Ladybug's chiton before cleansing the river, just as Ladybug promised. It left the stable alone, thankfully. The magic seemed to have some common sense, leaving the stable as clean as it was when the water finished washing it.

Chat Noir stared at Ladybug. He'd only seen that particular trick once. It was a further reminder that her Miraculous promoted creation, whereas his was about destruction. He supposed that it made sense. Heracles may be a hero, but he seemed to destroy a lot. His luck was awful. He'd only completed five tasks so far, and it had already been several years. He'd spent an entire year chasing an overrated deer. He was sure Hippolyta had had a good laugh about that one. Of course, he'd laughed at himself a little too, but this was different.

Focusing back on their task, Chat Noir looked to the sun. The sun was getting dangerously close to the horizon. "My Lady!" he alerted her, motioning to the setting sun.

"Thank you very much," Ladybug bowed her head slightly to the naiad, "but we must get going."

The naiad nodded at Ladybug before turning and eyeing Chat noir. He crossed his arms over his chest as she took a moment to ogle him. She jumped back into the river and immediately disappeared.

Ladybug guffawed at her partner. "I see you have an admirer," she teased.

He rolled his eyes. With a body and face like his, he was used to turning heads everywhere. "Whatever. Let's go," he ordered. In two steps he was at her side, and he wrapped an arm around her waist. Without warning, he used his staff to propel them over to the ranch house.

Ladybug cling to him tightly. He'd noticed by now that she was not a fan of heights, and it still brought a small smile to his face. "I hate you," she muttered.

"I know," he grinned.

o~O~o

 **LABOR 6 - THE STYMPHALIAN BIRDS**

" _Achoo!"_

Birds. Why did it have to be birds? Of all the creatures on this earth, of course it had to be the one that Chat Noir was allergic to.

"Birds? Really?" Ladybug deadpanned. That seemed to be her natural tone of voice when it came to him. She was constantly underwhelmed by everything he did, and it kind of wounded his ego. Of course, his ego was still fine, but he'd never met anyone so thoroughly unimpressed by him.

Chat Noir stood up indignantly, swatting away a loose feather. "Yes, birds! They make me sneeze," he proclaimed, crossing his arms. Birds were a perfectly reasonable thing to be allergic to. And maybe slightly scared of, just based on his past experiences with birds, but no one needed to know that. Especially not Ladybug.

Birds swarmed around the pair as they bickered. They were emerging from a cave in the middle of the woods. Well, they were standing in a clearing, but trees surrounded them. The birds began to settle on the trees, but a constant swarm continued out of the cave. They were supposed to at least scatter the birds, they'd been causing some sort of ruckus in the cities nearby.

"... you're dumb!" Chat Noir proclaimed childishly, pouting like a man child. Ladybug would probably insist that he was one.

"Sh!" Ladybug froze, crouching down. She drew her bow and strung an arrow on it, staring at the surrounding birds.

Chat Noir glared at her. "Don't shush me! I -"

Ladybug leapt up and slapped a hand over his mouth, standing on her tiptoes to whisper in his ear. "Listen," she hissed.

Silence. Chat Noir's cat ears couldn't hear a single bird. They were deadly silent as they sat in the trees, which was particularly eerie. The flow of bird from the cave had stopped, but he imagined there were still more in there.

Beside him, Ladybug removed her hand from his face and restrung her bow. She aimed at a vulnerable bird, and the pair watched as the arrow sailed through the air and slashed through the bird, which fell to the ground, dead.

Chaos erupted immediately. The remaining birds in the trees began shrieking and cawing, and Ladybug and Chat Noir collapsed on their knees with their hands over their ears. Feathers floated to the ground around them, making Chat Noir keep sneezing as he tried to keep the noise from making him go deaf.

Birds dive-bombed them, the occasional talon or beak scratching bare skin. All Chat could see was flying feathers, and he couldn't hear a thing. In occasional lapses of birds flying around him, he could see glimpses of Ladybug to his right. Her mouth was open in a scream, but none of the noise reached him.

The noise of the birds made it hard for Chat to even think. He couldn't form a plan, every space in his mind was filled with birds and cawing.

Chat slowly took his hands away from his ears, wincing as everything became louder. He let his instincts take over and unsheathed his sword. Keeping in mind where Ladybug was, he began swinging the weapon blindly. Birds crashed to the ground, some only missing a wing or foot or other body part, others cut cleanly in half. The swarm moved to target him, and they soon moved past his sword, scratching his face with their vicious talons.

" _Achoo!"_

He just had to be allergic to birds, didn't he?

A hand landed on his shoulder, and Chat jumped. He'd forgotten about Ladybug, with all the birds attacking them. She must have finally gotten up, too. He turned to look at her. Pain was written on her face. She motioned to her yo-yo, and Chat couldn't quite figure out why. The noise made it hard to concentrate. What was special about a yo-yo?

Even with everything going on, Ladybug could still manage to roll her eyes at him. How could she focus?

She reached down and ripped something off of her outfit. Was that supposed to happen? Her hands came towards his face, birds still swarming around them. Chat made a face as she put something in his ears, muffling the noise.

This time when she motioned to her yo-yo, Chat Noir understood. Her Lucky Charm! He needed to be ready to work with her when it happened.

"Lucky Charm!" Ladybug yelled. He couldn't hear her words, but he knew that's what they were.

Something fell from the sky. It appeared to be a spotted rattle, like one a child would play with. Gently, Ladybug shook it, and the birds squawked in fear and began avoiding them.

Ladybug grinned at Chat Noir, and suddenly he knew exactly what to do. He grabbed his bow and all of their arrows and got ready to kill a whole lot of birds.

o~O~o

 **LABOR 9 - HIPPOLYTA'S BELT**

"Hippolyta, I need your belt," Heracles said, walking back from the gates to the palace. He'd been given his next task from King Eurystheus.

Hippolyta looked down at her belt and frowned. "My belt?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"That's what I said, wasn't it?" Heracles sassed back.

As always, Hippolyta rolled her eyes before taking off her belt. "Is he aware that I'm Ladybug and this is the most pointless quest ever?"

"I'd imagine he doesn't," Heracles smirked and slung the belt over his shoulder. "But this has earned us a little vacation."

o~O~o

LABOR 12 - CERBERUS

Heracles sighed, tuning out Hippolyta. She was still ticked that he had cashed in another one of his solo missions on the last labor: going into the Garden of Hesperides and stealing a golden apple. So of course she was going on another rant about it. Was that his fault? No. It sounded like a cool quest at the time. Not as cool as this one, but if anything scared Heracles, it was Hades. The god of death itself? Yeah, that's terrifying. He could probably kill Heracles with the snap of his fingers.

And now, the pair was headed to an entrance to the Underworld. This time, their mission was to capture Cerberus and bring him up to King Eurystheus. By now, Heracles was definitely over the whole quest thing. He and Hippolyta had literally aged about twenty years over the course of these stupid labors. They weren't even that young to begin with! Heracles was pretty sure the only motivating factor for him at this point was spite. His constant need to prove himself. Hippolyta trying to prove to him that she was worthy to be his partner. By this point he'd gladly take her as his partner, but she'd never find that out.

The pair had traveled down into the Underworld from a cave. The cave had wound down into the ground, so far that the boundary between Earth and the Underworld was weak, allowing them to pass through easily. As long as neither of them tried to bring a soul up from the Underworld, they'd be fine. And didn't piss of Hades. That was also important.

"So... what's your family like?" Heracles interrupted.

Hippolyta stopped her complaining, and gave him a long look before answering. "I've never had a normal family life. My dad is Ares, my mom died not long after I was born, and I've been living with the Amazons for most of my life."

Their footsteps on the rocky ground was the only sound for a long moment. "What about yours?"

Heracles laughed bitterly. "My dad is Zeus, and Hera hates me because he slept with a filthy mortal instead of her. That seems to be a reoccurring problem, but evidently I'm a big enough problem that she has to make my life a living hell every chance she gets. I've had my own families a couple of times, but they always turn out poorly. I kind of killed the last one, and I've left a the other wives. Commitment and I arent really compatible."

"Maybe you just haven't find someone that makes you happy," Hippolyta shrugged.

Heracles looked down at the much smaller woman beside him. Not that she was terribly small, but he was so large. Her choppy blonde hair had grown out some again. It was normally kept right at her shoulders, but with their life, it was often a while between haircuts. His own brown hair was getting long and shaggy, and he hadn't shaved in a while. They were both looking a little rough, but they were also attractive demigods. The god part of them was very helpful in that aspect. Heracles assumed that being part god gave them the physical characteristics of one. Even while running errands for King Eurystheus, Heracles and Hippolyta had still managed to keep their good looks. Sure, maybe Heracles had a grey hair here and there, but his good looks were still intact. Large muscles, strong features, enough charm to make ladies swoon.

"You still have the same confidence you did when we first met," Hippolyta commented with a soft smile. "You're still quite cocky," she laughed.

Heracles rolled his eyes at her. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. When you look this good, maybe you'll understand." He struck a pose, making Hippolyta laugh.

They were still journeying through the dark, ominous torches on the sides of the cave. They'd made it into the Underworld, but they were still close to the surface. Despite all that, the narrow cavern seemed to absorb all light. The torches did little in the darkness, but the pair could still see each other's outlines.

"Oh, please," Hippolyta laughed. "I've clearly aged better than you, old man," she teased, pulling at a grey hair in his beard. "You look like an-"

In an act of instinct, Heracles cut her off with a kiss. His hands buried themselves in her hair, and her hands landed on his chest. He had to bend down to reach her face.

They kissed for a moment before breaking away, looking into each other's eyes. They both breathed out and began laughing quietly.

"That was probably," Hippolyta gasped, "the worst kiss I've ever had."

If it hadn't been the same for Heracles, he would've been insulted. However, he'd felt absolutely nothing during the kiss. "I wouldn't call it the worst kiss ever, but that was definitely nowhere near the top."

His partner shook her head, still doubled over in laughter. "I haven't even kissed that many men, and that kiss was awful," she insisted.

Ouch. Wait... "Does that mean-"

A lantern appeared in the dark, held by a skeleton hand. A ghostly character appeared in front of the duo, who quickly forgot all about their (very forgettable) kiss.

"Hades will see you now," it hissed, its voice like nails on a chalkboard.

o~O~o

"You want my dog?" Hades asked incredulously as he lounged on his throne. His throne room was just as large and dark as the rest of the Underworld was. Well, except for Persephone's gardens. They'd been quickly escorted past those to keep the Lord of the Underworld's reputation intact. Living things? In the land of the dead? Yeah, that was probably for the best.

Hades had grey skin and dark hair, but his eyes were a vibrant blue. He was probably one of Heracles' favorite gods, simply because he wasn't as stuck up as the rest. He had a bit of a temper due to being stuck in the Underworld, but that was to be expected.

Persephone sat quietly in a throne beside Hades', hers covered in vines. Most of the plants were dead, but some occasionally bloomed when her skin touched it. While Hades was dark, she radiated light. Her golden brown hair shone, and her eyes were a bright green, like the grass in summer. Her skin was a healthy pale, with no grey pallor like Hades had. They made an odd couple, but only in appearance. Otherwise, they were perfectly compatible.

"Yes, Lord Hades," Hippolyta said. She was down on one knee in a sign of respect, so Heracles followed. He didn't really want to die.

Persephone places a hand on her husband's arm. "Cerberus does need some fresh air," she said.

"We would bring him right back," Heracles insisted. Which was true, he didn't really want to deal with a three-headed do more than necessary. Just enough to scare King Eurystheus and finally get him off their backs...

Persephone whispered something in Hades' ear, a soft smile on her face. Hades looked at her for a long moment before nodding.

"If Heracles alone can wrangle my dog, he can bring Cerberus up to King Eurystheus," Hades ordered, sitting straight on his throne, every inch the ruler that he truly was. "However, he can't use any weapons or turn into the weird cat thing."

Hippolyta nodded. "He will not hurt Cerberus, Lord Hades."

The god of the Underworld gave a slight eye roll before looking right at Heracles, his blue eyes flickering like flames. "If there's even one scratch on my dog-"

"If there's a scratch, it'll be from him playing in the trees outside," Heracles promised, bowing his head back to the floor. "No harm will come to Cerberus."

"You'd better uphold that promise, Heracles. Your father may be Zeus, but even he can't stop me if I decide to take you," Hades swore. He flicked a hand at the duo, as if ordering them to leave. Persephone smiles kindly before disappearing in a cloud of flowers, leaving the scent of pomegranates behind.

o~O~o

Heracles tugged on the rope he was using as a leash for Cerberus. It was wrapped around where all three heads connected on the massive brown dog. It was a dark brown, and had patches of black on it. It hadn't taken much for Heracles to wrestle the dog, especially since Cerberus had just wanted to play. As soon as Hippolyta had yelled that at him, he was easily able to get the leash around the dog and go through a special passage that Hades created for them.

Hippolyta rose on the back of Cerberus, petting him and occasionally picking apples off of trees for him to chase after. That part wasn't very helpful, as Cerberus would suddenly dart forward every once in a while, but it also kept him calmer. Pink tongues painted out the side of each mouth, and Heracles couldn't be afraid of this beast if he tried. To be honest, this was one of their easiest quests.

Not that King Eurystheus needed to know that.

Speaking of the coward of a king, they were within the city gates now. One look at the monster sent the guards running to open the gates before he tore them down. The streets were cobblestone, making it a slightly bumpy ride for Hippolyta. People were hiding inside of their houses, and Hippolyta waved at a few children peeking out the windows.

It was rather comical, actually. Like their own mini-parade through the little seaside town. The houses to their right were on a cliff overlooking the ocean, all made of stone and shades of white and grey. Waves crashing against the shore made Hippolyta long for water. Heracles has to tug harder to make Cerberus continue down the pathway and not veer off into any houses.

The palace was on a hill, made from precious metals. When Cerberus began to practically drag Heracles up the hill in excitement, that almost made it easier. Almost.

The palace doors looked ahead, and guards scrambled out of the way again. No one bothered to stop them, not that Heracles expected them to. Who would want to get in between Cerberus and where he was going?

Instead, Cerberus ran right into the place doors, blowing them open without even faltering in his pace. A couple palace slaves shrieked, and Heracles saw one faint. He chuckled to himself and began tugging the large dog toward the throne room, where he knew King Eurystheus would be.

And, of course, doors weren't a problem with Cerberus. He gladly knocked them down, his barking echoing through the whole palace. He slobbered on the floor slightly, making Heracles laugh louder.

"Oh, King Eurystheus!" Hippolyta called out with a grin. She couldn't wait to see the horrified look on the man's face. Heracles had told her all kinds of stories about the coward.

A squeak came from the corner of the room. Heracles walked over and snatched up a small jar. He remembered when the king had gotten it. It was to protect himself from Heracles and whatever beasts he brought in. Once he was inside, the jar shrank and no one could get in. Only the king could open the jar, and he could survive several days in there.

Hippolyta hopped down from the three-headed dog, smiling smugly. "He's a little smaller than I remember you saying," she teased.

"Must've shrank a few centimeters," Heracles laughed. The king was the biggest coward he'd ever seen, and he'd seen lots of cowards over his many years.

"Take the beast and go!" A small voice came from the jar. King Eurystheus was sitting against the side of the jar, a chiton with a purple robe covering his body. A crown sat lopsided on his head, supposedly showing his authority.

Heracles smiles sweetly. "I just came to show you my latest conquest," he gestured to Cerberus. "Hades' own dog, just like you said! So what's next?"

The king shook his head wildly, "No, no, no! Just leave! You're free from your labors, they're all done! Just take the beast and get out of here!"

"If you insist," Heracles grinned, tossing the jar on the ground unceremoniously. He was free! The stupid labors were finally done.

He offered his fist to Hippolyta, who met it with her own. "Pound it!"

o~O~o

"... and that's the story of how I discovered camembert," Plagg said proudly.

Adrien groaned and leaned back in his chair at his computer desk. He'd been looking up Heracles while Plagg told the story, and it all sounded about right. "Plagg, we were talking about Heracles and Hippolyta."

"Oh yeah," Plagg blinked. "You know, there's normally a letter from Chat Noir that I give you, but Heracles didn't write one. He actually died not long after this. His bad luck finally caught up to him for good, and he got tricked into wearing a shirt smeared with poisonous centaur blood." Plagg sighed and ate another wheel of Camembert. "Another Greek tragedy."

"Do you have any more cool stories?" Adrien asked excitedly. He loved hearing all about precious Miraculous holders.

Plagg yawned, and Adrien knew it was over. "Ask me tomorrow," he sighed, and fell asleep.

The young boy stood up and threw a blue scarf over Plagg. He was used to it by now, so he'd just ask tomorrow. Maybe there was a cool Chat Noir in Rome...

 **This chapter is like over 5,000 words. What's your preferred length for my story chapters?**

 **Sorry Heracles and Hippolyta didn't get together. Hippolyta is a strong independent Amazon and doesn't need a man, and Heracles is a stuck up prat. I started shipping it but had that whole kissing scene in my head for days. They were never going to happen XD**

 **So we're back within Chat Noir next time! In Ancient Rome, one of my other favorite time periods. I've had ideas planned for this story for a while, and I can't wait to show off my SERIAL KILLER SPECIAL! A mysterious killer keeps dumping bodies in the aqueducts and catacombs of Rome, but Ladybug and Chat Noir can't figure out who. Things start hitting closer to home - has the serial killer figured out their identities? Is this all some twisted game from the butterfly Miraculous holder? Find out soon!**

 **it may take me a while to update again, since I'm going on vacation and have to research some cool Rome stuff before I write again. But I promise, reviews help! Thanks to my reviewers last time (especially the one who reviewed about every chapter), and please REVIEW!**


	11. The Roman Era Part 1

**Heyyy it's me! And here we are, starting a BRAND NEW ERA! Now, my updating has been fairly decent this summer, since I've updated more than once in the span of like two months. However, this is actually the second week of band camp for me, school starts next week, and it's my senior year. I really have no idea how often I'll be able to update just because I'm gonna be super busy half the time. However, I'm taking AP Lit this year, and that's a bunch of reading and writing, so hopefully it'll help me with this story. Anyway, read!**

Valens kissed his fiancée on the forehead, watching her eyes dance in the dim candlelight. Night was approaching fast. It was time for Cassia to return to her own home. They were engaged to be married the next month. An arranged marriage, but they'd learned to love each other despite it. It would bring both of their powerful families together, and Valens and Cassia would never need to worry about money. It helped that Cassia was rather lovely, with dark brown hair and deep brown eyes. Her skin was rather pale, with only a slight tan.

"Come on, Valens," his older sister Regina taunted, carrying her books past them into the living room. "Let her go home! She's been here all evening." His sister was learning how to read, but with her new husband against the idea, she did it in their home, Valens and his father occasionally helping out.

Cassia laughed, placing a gentle hand on his arm to bring his attention back to her. "I really must go, Valens. Father wanted to talk with me about something, and he hates it when I'm late."

That was true. Her father was strict, always pushing for more dowry. He gave his fiancée a peck on the cheek. "That's fine, Cassia," he murmured, placing a hand on the small of her back to escort her out.

As Valens said farewell to Cassia, he heard his younger sister, Lucia, walk past the door. He closed the door behind him as he entered the house again, rolling his eyes as Lucia stood before him, hands on her hips in a rather sassy manner. Only a year younger than him, Father would be looking for a suitor for her soon.

"Yes, Lucia?" A smile rugged at the corners of his lips, but he pushed the urge away. "Is there something that you need?"

His sister pushed off the wall with a small laugh. "Not me, necessarily," she smirked, obviously knowing something that he didn't, which infuriated him beyond belief.

"Lucia, what is that supposed to mean?" He looked down at her as she got closer, a slightly mocking look on her face.

Continuing to be a frustrating younger sister, she studied her nails a bit before responding. "It's just," she paused to look back up at him, "Marcella is here for you."

The grin he'd been trying to suppress came back, this time in full force. Marcella had come for a visit! "Where is she?" Valens asked eagerly, desperate to see his best friend.

"In your room. Try to keep quiet, you know how Father feels about her," Lucia advised. "Looked a bit upset, but she told me she was fine."

Which obviously meant she wasn't fine. Was Lucia really that thick? Whatever the case, Valens calmed down, going back to his stoic disposition as he remembered that Father didn't really care for Marcella, especially since she wasn't a noble.

"Why didn't you say that before?" Valens asked, not really waiting for an answer as he rushed through their living room, where Regina was squinting at her books, mouthing words as she tried to figure them out. When she heard his footsteps, her head snapped up, looking for help that Valens wasn't in the mood to offer.

"Valens-" she began, but Valens was already in the hallway heading to his room.

His bedroom was the last one on the right, directly across from Lucia's. He calmed himself as he eased the door open, immediately seeing Marcella slumped on his bed. He closed the door behind him, leaving him alone with her.

Her head snapped up when he closed the door, suddenly realizing that someone was there. Valens stared at her. He hadn't seen her in months! After getting engaged to Cassia, his father had forbid him to see her. A practically married man seeing a single woman? That would throw dirt on their family's name, and that was al his Father cared about. Valens could respect that point of view, but not when it meant turning his back on his friend.

Valens took several steps towards the bed, watching her face for signs of something being wrong. To his surprise, her face burst into a smile, making his lips slowly turn up as well.

"What is it?" he asked quietly, acknowledging the fact that his parents could possibly hear them if they spoke too loudly.

Marcella crawled to the edge of the bed and practically tackled him in a hug. Valens managed to angle himself so they landed back on the bed and not on the floor. "I missed you too much," she whispered in his ear.

"Me too," Valens said, leaning back so he could see her face again. His eyes roamed her smaller figure, taking in her dark eyes framed by long lashes, her wide smile with slightly crooked teeth, her brown hair lightened by the sun and shorter than her last seen it. Her clothes were wrinkled and dirty, a sign that she'd been working.

They sat there for a moment just looking at each other. Remembering each other. It had hurt to not see her every day like he had for years. Being torn apart like that... he couldn't explain how it felt.

"Is there something important you need to say?" he murmured, brushing a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"Well..." she started, then trailed off and looked away, biting her lip. "I'm getting married too."

Valens grinned widely, excited for his friend. "That's great! To who?"

His hands grabbed hers, squeezing them in reassurance. "Some nobleman. My father managed to scrounge up a large enough dowry to give me away to a lower nobleman. I'm not really sure who."

Valens frowned at her for a moment. "You're missing an earring," he pointed out.

Marcella laughed, feeling the bare earlobe. "Silly me. This pair has the tendency to fall out sometimes. Who knows, I might find it on the way home!"

At her words, Valens sighed. He knew she'd have to go soon. Very soon, in fact. He had patrol with Ladybug tonight, and he was fairly certain that the killer would drop another victim.

Marcella's smile faltered as she squeezed his hands. "I know," she said sadly. "I should go."

The embraces one last time before Valens watched her leave his home and make the short journey to her home. "Stay safe!" he whispered.

"Always," she grinned.

Valens left his room shortly after, running into Regina in the hallway. Her books were gone for now, but he knew she would be looking for help. "Regina, I can't right now."

A sigh fell from her lips. "You still don't have any time to help me?"

He shook his head sadly, feeling guilty as he did so. He was really only going to get some cheese for Plagg before transforming.

Suddenly, Lucia ran into the room, slightly panicked. "The aqueducts are clogged again!"

Valens felt his heart drop, and his fingers went numb. Just as he'd suspected, the notorious serial killer of Rome had made another kill tonight. He had a job to do.

o~O~o

Chat Noir crouched on the edge of the clogged aqueduct. It had been months since this had began, so he knew the drill by now. An aqueduct wasn't running properly. In any other place, that just meant that something had broken. Not here.

It meant that someone else had died.

The tall aqueducts ran all through Rome, forming arches and columns all through the city. They carried water and were aesthetically pleasing, something that Chat admired quite a bit. What good was a powerful city if it looked like it had been trashed? The Romans took pride in their city, from the aqueducts to the colosseum, where Roman gladiators fought for sport. Since Ladybug and Chat Noir had appeared, they had both been offered a spot as a guest or a one-time fighter. Chat didn't like such senseless violence though, and his Lady would never speak up for something so inhumane. He was saddened by her distraught every time they found a new body.

"Kitty, have you found it yet?" A soft voice came from his right, shaking him out of his thoughts. His Ladybug has arrived, in her red and black spotted armor. Her identity was covered by a mask covering the bottom half of her face, but he could still see her big, dark eyes, which complimented her dark hair. Some days he wished he knew who she was, but with a serial killer on the loose, secret identities were crucial. At least, that's what Plagg told him.

"No, but there's a bit of blood here," he pointed to a small streak of red in the aqueduct, "and there's no water running here. Normally, it should be going to our right, so the body must be to the left, but not far."

Ladybug grimaced in anticipation for the body they would soon see. "Why aqueducts, of all places? A body would clog the water, making it easy to find."

Chat Noir gave a bitter laugh, standing and walking towards the body. "For one, of inconveniences the people of Rome further than just killing the innocent people of its city." He paused, ears picking up the trickle of water. With the constant running of water through the city, the body couldn't hold everything back. Some would sneak past, but it also made the water dirty, and Ladybug had to clean it every time while he took the body to be identified.

"And second?" Ladybug asked fearfully, noticing the lump in the aqueduct as they turned the corner.

"And second," Chat Noir approaches the body, sighing at the wounds it had been given. "It means whoever is doing this wants us to find the body. Whoever they are, they aren't worried about being found. That makes them more dangerous. Lucky Charm ready?"

Chat examined the body as Ladybug summoned a Lucky Charm, fingers tracing the wounds. Face mutilated, chest and stomach cut open and organs taken out, bloody red lines running down bare arms and legs. Senseless killing and torture, and Chat didn't even know if these poor people were still alive while they were mutilated in this way. He wasn't sure which was worse, either - the torture of someone alive and feeling pain, or the mutilation of the body while they were already dead.

Empty brown eyes stared at nothing. Chat Noir followed their gaze to the sky, the stars glimmering in the distance. To him, they represented a future. No one knew what was up there, but it was a beautiful mystery. Better than the dead bodies down here.

He sighed once more and brushed long brown hair out of the dead girl's face. He closed her eyes and bent his head, taking a few deep breaths. A few tears stung his eyes, frustration making his body tense up. Why? Why were these good Roman people being killed by some monster? Whoever had done this was disloyal to the empire, to their own people. His fists clenched around the girl's hair, shaking as he tried to calm himself. He was only glad that he wasn't grabbing her arm or something, because his increased strength combined with anger and frustration would have snapped it. Of course, if the monster of Rome hadn't snapped it already.

A hand landed on his shoulder, making his head snap up, almost colliding with Ladybug's nose. She jumped back, a worried look on her face. "I have the water purifier," she said quietly, waving the object in the air. Chat had no idea what it was or how it worked, he just knew it did.

He nodded, breathing out slowly. Without knowing who was killing people, his emotions did nothing but worry Ladybug and cause destruction. He forced a grim smile onto his face. "Get ready," he ordered.

Ladybug walked down the aqueduct and crouched by the trickling water. "Ready!" she called, now a good distance away.

Bracing himself, his arms slid under the deceased girl's body. "Go!" he called, scooping the body up into his arms. The bloody water rushed down toward Ladybug, and after it reached her it cleared. Something shimmered in the water, but it was gone before he could figure it out.

Blood soaked into the material covering Chat's body, but he wasn't worried about it. It would wash out once he changed back into Chat Noir next time. Magical.

Ladybug threw the Lucky Charm into the air, but Chat wasn't paying attention to her anymore. This girl in his arms looked vaguely familiar, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Maybe when he took the body to his friend Leo, who often took the body back to their families. He was the only person who knew he was Chat Noir and Valens, the son of a wealthy noble family, engaged and soon to be married to Cassia, his love.

"Chat?" Ladybug asked softly, voice full of concern. She always knew just when he needed to talk.

Sighing, he stared down into the dead girl's face. "Ladybug, I hate this. Where's the pattern to this? There's a different target every time. Is this just senseless killing? Have we just not figured out the pattern yet?" Chat took a shaky breath, his voice dropping to a whisper. "I don't understand."

Her hand cupped his face, and he let out a soft purr at the gentle human contact.

"I believe in you," she whispered. "You're much stronger than I am, you'll figure this out."

o~O~o

"Unfortunately for this poor girl, I don't think she was dead long before she was dropped off. That means she-"

"Was still alive through most of this torture," Valens sighed, cutting Leo off. The doctor continued examining the body on the table in front of him, opening her mouth.

"Tongue cut out so she couldn't scream for help." That was normal. No tongue, no talking. It was as simple as that.

Leo's hands traveled down to the throat. "I think whoever did this was trying to cut the vocal cords out and killed them instead. Perhaps this lady was putting up too much of a fight near the end."

"Do you know who it is?" Valens asked, hoping to move on from the blood and gore of the situation.

Leo leaned back, wiping his bloody hands on his apron. His dirty blond hair hung over his eyes, and Valens had to assume that got in the way sometimes. "It's hard to tell. The face is pretty badly mutilated, and she's missing some hair. But I think it's Viviana Tullius."

 _Black hair caught his eye from across the square. A woman was thrown to the ground, cowering in her red cloak. A man stood over her, his red face and clenched fists clear signs of his anger._

 _Valens battled his way through the crowd to help the woman, and when he reached her, the man was gone, leaving the woman alone on the ground. He fixed a gentle smile on his face and crouched beside her, offering his hand for her to take. "Are you okay, Miss?"_

 _A kind face looked up at him, red lips curving into a smile. Tears sparkled in her eyes, but now they were more tears of relief than pain. "Yes, thank you, sir," she said, placing a hand in his. He noticed a lovely green bracelet on her wrist._

 _"Is there anywhere I can escort you?" Valens offered, hoping she'd say yes. He desperately wanted to help this woman._

 _"Yes, actually," she nodded, letting him help her up. "I have a gift for you, for your kindness."_

 _"No, that's really not necessary-" Valens tried to insist, but the woman was persistent._

 _"I must award my own knight in shining armor!" she insisted, looping her arm through his to lead him to her home. Valens couldn't help but roll his eyes at the eager young lady. "Now, what's your name?"_

" _Valens," he answered, watching their surroundings as they headed into the poorer parts of Rome. Whoever this was probably wasn't royalty._

 _"I'm Viviana Tullius!" She provided the answer eagerly, even though he didn't ask._

 _He nodded, vaguely uncomfortable. When they reached her home, she pushed open the door and entered, leading him straight back to her bedroom. She started rummaging through her dresser._

 _"I don't-" Valens tried to protest, assuming she was some kind of strange prostitute._

 _"Here it is!" she cheered, pulling a small box out of her dresser. "Take this!" Viviana held the box out for him to take._

 _"Thank you?" Valens said, but it sounded more like a question._

 _"Now, shoo! Go home!"_

 _When Valens got home, he opened the small box to find a silver ring and a small cat creature named Plagg._

"No..." Valens whispered. "No, no, no!" He couldn't move. His shock paralyzed him.

Leo looked up at him, surprised. "You know this girl? She's not of noble blood, you know."

"I know," Valens snapped. "But she's the one that gave me my Miraculous. If she was killed, this killer might know who Ladybug and I are too."

Leo stepped away from the table, running a hand through his hair. "You don't even know that they knew-"

"Look at her wrists. There should be a somewhat cheap looking green beaded bracelet there. No one would want it unless they knew what it was." Valens turned around and leaned his head against the wall, closing his eyes and clenching his teeth.

After hearing the rustling of Leo moving her sleeves, Valens heard nothing. And that was the only answer he needed.

 **How was it? How are these characters looking so far? Any guesses as to what might go down? I've got planned at least four chapters for this story, so this one'll take a little bit to be wrapped up again. Tell me how you think! Please review!**


	12. The Roman Era Part 2

**Hey! So my summer update schedule had finally gone away again, and school and band hit all at the same time sooooo I havent updated in a month and a half! Band and school, that's all I've got for ya. I expect things to slow down around November, since I'll be focusing on college applications and scholarships here for a while. I'll do my best to finish this little segment up when I can. I only expect two more chapters before we move on to our next era - but you'll see more on that at the bottom!**

Valens squeezed Cassia's hand reassuringly as their fathers discussed the upcoming marriage. He had stopped paying attention long ago, opting instead to watch his fiancée.

Her mouth was drawn into a pout. Her eyes stared down at their entwined hands, not noticing his eyes studying her. Someone had pulled her dark hair back into a braid, but pieces had fallen out and now framed her face. If Valens looked closely, he could see freckles dotting the bridge of her nose.

The smile slowly slipped from his face as he remembered the events of last week. After Chat Noir and Ladybug found Viviana dead, the killer had gone silent. Whoever it was had to be planning something bigger, and Valens was nervous. If they had found Viviana and taken her Miraculous, could the killer find him and Ladybug as well?

He hadn't noticed how tight his grip had gotten on Cassia's hand until she looked up at him, face worried. It was only then that he saw his white knuckles swallowing her small hand. In a hurry, he let go. He didn't apologize, not wanting to draw attention to them. Their fathers were still talking, but he didn't think they were talking about the wedding and the dowry and the rings anymore.

A flash of movement from beyond the living room caught his attention. Regina was home, cringing as she quietly slipped inside with her books once more. She slipped down the hallway to her old room.

"Your sister?" Cassia whispered, her voice almost silent.

"Older," Valens confirmed with a nod of his head.

Cassia frowned, watching the hallway his sister went down. "I've never seen her before..."

Valens chuckled quietly. "Well, she's married. She just comes over here to study."

Nodding, Cassia turned back to Valens. Education for women wasn't very common, so she couldn't say she was surprised that Regina's husband didn't approve. Several places in Rome would teach women, but some people were still backwards in their views.

Valens felt Cassia's hands brush his, and he looked down to where she was playing with his ring. He tensed. That's where his power came from. A silver ring was discreet, sure, but what if someone somehow managed to notice? Maybe the serial killer was keeping tabs on him right now, and they would find out and kill everyone he loved-

He shook his head, clearing his chaotic train of thought. Cassia looked up at him, worry shining in her brown eyes. He smiled reassuringly, covering her hands in his and squeezing gently.

"Cassia." Their fathers stood together, done with whatever they were negotiating. "Say farewell. I'll meet you outside," her father ordered. He wasn't a kind man, but it's not like Valens's father was terribly kind either.

He left them, and Father disappeared when Valens turned his back. It was just him and Cassia, just for a moment.

Valens stood, and Cassia stood beside him, their fingers entwined. "I have something for you," he smiled softly, pulling his left hand away to reach in his pocket.

"Oh, really?" Cassia grinned eagerly. She loved frivolous things - jewelry and fancy clothes and such. But ones that had meaning? Well, those were her favorite of them all.

He pulled out a golden bracelet and fastened it around her wrist. "Of course. It's for you, Cassia."

Valens stepped back and watched her inspect the jewelry that he picked out himself. He had found the little golden bracelet in a store. When noticed what was on it, he realized it was perfect.

"A lizard?" Cassia looked up at him with wide, innocent eyes. He gently grabbed her hand and lifted it to his lips, kissing it. She hid her smile behind her other hand, giggling to herself.

"Well, lizards in jewelry are meant to represent 'wedded bliss,' and it looked like you might wear it, so I was really hoping you'd think it looked nice and-"

She cut off his long ramble by pulling his face down to hers and cutting him off with a kiss. "I love it," she murmured against his lips.

After escorting his fiancée outside, Valens said good night to his father and headed to his room. His father would surely go out and not be back until the darkest hours of night. Which is how Marcella knew that she could meet him in his room and not be seen.

There she was, sitting on his bed again. No signs of her being upset, just a happy visit.

The setting sun cast a golden glow on Marcella's tanned face, shadows in the gentle creases on her forehead from worrying too much. Not today, though. Today Marcella had a small, pleased smile on her face when she looked up at him, and she jumped right up to greet him.

"Valens!" she cried, giggling as he hushed her hurriedly. "Sorry." She his a sheepish grin and matching blush behind her hand.

Valens felt his own smile start to creep onto his face. Marcella was always doing or saying things at the wrong time. Once, when they were little, she'd come over for a visit and had ended up telling his father that his mustache was the color of a rat she'd seen in the alley earlier that day. His face had turned a rather charming color that Valens could only compare to the bright red of a ruby. That's probably the moment that Marcella became an annoyance to his father, like a large fly that just wouldn't die.

Rolling her eyes, Marcella lightly hit him on the shoulder. "What brings you here?" he grinned, sitting on the edge of his bed.

A simple shrug of the shoulders was the only answer she gave. Then, after a long moment, she let out a cheerful laugh. "There weren't any attacks in the past few days, and I missed my friend!"

The attacks... it was all he could do to keep himself from telling her everything right there. That he was Chat Noir, that he had to go track down these poor dead people every time that monster betrayed Rome and attacked its citizens unprovoked.

It all made him remember when he first met Ladybug...

The first time it happened, it was daybreak. A grey sky provided enough light for Valens to make it to his dresser to put on the ring Viviana gave him. After that, Chat Noir's night vision took over, and he easily made it over to the aqueducts.

They were clogged, which had never happened in his lifetime. The aqueducts were a beautiful feat of Roman architecture, carrying water to all the citizens of Rome. They did the labor for everyone else.

His ears twitched as he heard a horrified gasp. His eyes found the source of the noise. A young woman stood in red and black spotted armor on one of the aqueducts.

"Hey!" Chat Noir yelled up at the woman, "Who are you?" He snatched his baton up, just in case she was dangerous.

The woman spun around too quickly and almost lost her balance on the high aqueduct. She used some kind of string to keep herself from falling.

Chat Noir chuckled and used his baton to leap up to where she was. Not dangerous at all. The stranger gave him a glare, but it wasn't very intimidating. Her eyes narrowed once more before she turned away, her brown hair flying behind her.

"I'm Ladybug," she said, walking along the aqueduct away from him. The stream wasn't flowing, but there were red smears on the sides of the stone. "Who are you?" She turned her head slightly and he saw her face highlighted by the light from a window. Her blue eyes stood out for a moment before she turned away again, expecting him to answer.

"Chat Noir," he responded, following after her. "Do you know what's going on?"

She shook her head. "I only know as much as you. But from what I can tell, things don't look good."

Things definitely did not look good. There were no records of anything like this every happening, and Chat Noir wasn't too keen on his first outing as a superhero being someone else's first outing as a criminal. Things were not looking good.

Ladybug turned the corner before him, and he heard her shriek. He ran the last few steps it took for him to round the corner as well. He came right behind her and saw what it was. A body, mangled almost beyond recognition. It could be male, but Chat Noir couldn't really tell.

He hadn't noticed how long he'd been staring at the body until he heard Ladybug fall and retch over the side of the aqueduct. "Oh, gods," he whispered, sending a quick prayer to Jupiter. He knelt beside his partner and put a comforting hand on her back, unsure of what else to do. "This isn't good."

"Valens?" Marcella snapped her fingers in front of his face, shaking him out of his memories. "Is something wrong?" She leaned back, waiting for him to snap out of whatever daze he was in.

He stared at her for a long moment. Why did he have to get stuck with this duty as Chat Noir? It forced him to keep secrets from everyone he loved. "I'm just... worried about you sneaking around like this. What if you're next?" It was a constant worry of his. The attacker only preyed on those foolish enough to be outside in the night.

Marcella chuckled, "I'll be fine, Valens. You worry too much."

"At least I worry for the right reasons," he insisted, not letting up. "You need to visit me earlier in the day at least. The sun is going down."

The sun was slipping closer and closer to the horizon, vibrant oranges and purples streaking across the sky. The gorgeous sight did little to settle his uneasiness, however. He feared that the killer would strike tonight. That bastard had been silent for too long.

Slender arms wrapped themselves around his neck, squeezing him in a gentle hug. "I just wanted to see you," Marcella whispered in his ear.

Valens wrapped his arms around her waist, sighing deeply. "I know," he said. "I know."

So he watched her leave again, hopping out of his window. Her hair disappeared into an alleyway, which made Valens cringe. The serial killer running around made him extremely uneasy and overprotective.

Someone knocked on the door. Probably Lucia. "Come in!" He sighed, sitting back on the bed.

Lucia opened the door, Regina right behind her. He hadn't noticed that Lucia had passed Regina up in height, making the oldest one the shortest. She was also the shyest, which is why it was so hard for father to find her a suitor.

"Valens?" Lucia spoke up, leaving Regina to shut the door. "Can you help us for just a few minutes?"

He gestured to the bed, noticing the single book Regina had under her arm. It appeared she and Lucia were both trying to learn now. "Of course," he gestured to the bed. "Need reading help?"

They both joined him on the bed, one on each side. Regina handed him her book, pointing quietly to the marked spot. "Here, please," she murmured, flicking her long brown braid over her shoulder.

Valens nodded down at the story. This one was about the god of death, Pluto, getting his wife, Proserpina, the daughter of Ceres. It was one of his personal favorites as well, so he delighted in reading to them, pointing out words as he read so they could do their best to follow along.

Before long, however, the sun was setting and he knew their little party was over. Regina would have to go to her home, and Lucia would disappear back to her room. They weren't the same as they were back before Regina got married. He was still close with Lucia, but she'd been distant after Regina's marriage.

"Thank you." Regina kissed him on the cheek. She clutched her book to her chest, eager to get back to her husband. They seemed to be in love, even if their opinions weren't exactly the same.

She disappeared out the door, leaving just Lucia and Valens. He hadn't seen much of her since the other night, when she had told him that the aqueducts were clogged again. Sure, they'd eaten together at meal times, but beyond that, he hadn't really talked to her much.

"What's got you thinking tonight?" Lucia asked in a teasing tone. "Normally you save the thinking for when you're alone." Her long necklace was tucked under her shirt today, but he knew what it was. A silver chain with a sparrow on it. A gift from Father.

Valens chuckled slightly. She was correct. He was just so... out of it. This killer was really throwing him off. He was never like this! He was even beginning to lose his rage at the killer, and he was just lost and confused.

"I'm... sorry," he whispered. "Thing are... things are just hard right now." He shifted so he was laying down, with his head in Lucia's lap. He wasn't one to show open vulnerability like this, but here he was anyway. Things were changing.

He didn't realize how tired he was until he felt himself drifting off to sleep. Lucia hummed softly, running her fingers soothingly through his hair.

o~O~o

Chat Noir stood on the roof of his house, breathing in the scent of Rome. Slightly dirty, but comfortable. Just the way he liked it.

When he woke up, he was alone in his room and the moon had risen. The place where his sister had been sitting was cold, and when he left through his window, there weren't any candles lit in his house. His father was out running his 'errands,' and Lucia had gone to sleep.

He looked out over the surrounding houses. A few stray people milled about in alleyways, but they all seemed to be headed home. His sense of uneasiness was heightened, so his gaze soon turned to the aqueducts.

From the city came a piercing wail. It sounded like someone was in intense pain.

Chat Noir's ears perked up, following the noise. His cat reflexes made him jump into action, following the sound.

Blinking, he found himself in an alley in the middle of a city. A young woman lay prone on the ground, moaning. Her attacker was gone. There was no trace of anyone else being in the alley.

He stalked forward, kneeling down by the girl. Her eyes were covered by a cloth tied roughly around her head. With an easy swipe of his claws, that wasn't a problem anymore.

A large knot was rising on the top of her head, which was how she managed to still hardly move. Her eyes blinked open sluggishly, a hand raising to hold her head. She rolled over, curling in on herself. She probably hurt - a lot.

Blood soaked into his suit as he scanned her for fatal injuries. Besides the scratches she was covered in, he didn't think it looked like there was anything too serious. It was like he was lured over here for something...

That's when he noticed the note.

It wasn't written on parchment. Rather, it was written on the cobblestone in the young woman's blood. The scratches were deep for the most part, but the sheer number of them provided a decently sized pool of blood.

Chat Noir used his eyes, enhanced with night vision, to read the message again. And then again. It didn't sink in until the woman groaned and heaved herself up on both arms, covered in tiny bloody scratches.

Her freshly uncovered eyes scanned the ground, the words made from her own blood. "... distraction...?" she whispered, looking at Chat Noir. "What does that mean?"

"Do you need help getting home?" Chat Noir's voice was short and harsh now. This was just him being a good hero, he had no desire to take her home. He had to hurry, but the note was right. This was a distraction, one they knew he would fall for.

She shakily tried to stand, but he imagined her body was covered in bruises that hadn't shown their ugly faces yet. "Please," she whimpered. "I'm-"

"Don't," he cut her off. In a flash his arms were under her back and legs and they were on the rooftops, running wherever she told him to go. It wasn't long before he deposited her in her room.

Not that he remembered much of the journey, of course. All he could see was the note, scrawled in blood.

You've been hot on my trail, Chaton, so here's a little distraction for you. Of course, I'm planning a bigger surprise for you. Don't miss it...

Whatever the killer was going to 'surprise' him with, he didn't want it. Especially not when they knew his name. His mind flashed back to everyone he cared about. They had all gone out of his sight at some point...

Cassia, headed home with her father, her present from him on her wrist...

Marcella, headed home from his room, both earrings found...

Regina, back to her husband with her book...

Lucia, left alone in their dark, silent house, with her long chain necklace...

And even his father, out to do who knows what in the black of night...

Ladybug kneeled in the aqueduct, and looked up when he approached. Her face was full of grief. "I'm so sorry... I think this-"

It was a female body, its features beyond recognition. The blood running from its various wounds was still warm, a thought that made him sick. She hadn't died long ago... the girl in the alley really was just a distraction...

Which either meant there were two killers working together, or this girl had spent her last moments alone. Bleeding out. In immense pain.

Ladybug put a bloody hand on his shirt. "'Keep your whiskers to yourself, kitty. I'm not here to play,'" she read off from the side of the aqueduct. "Chat-"

"Stop," he whispered. He was filled with a momentary rage. Why wasn't someone Ladybug loved getting attacked? Why was it just him?

"Do you know them?"

His enhanced green eyes roamed over the figure. From just its features, he had no idea who it was.

But the book clutched in her hand was enough to make Chat Noir howl with rage and sorrow.

 **...**

 **so uh, there's that lovely ending. I'm so sorry by the way, but our lovely Valens needed some motivation!**

 **Next up we will see how exactly this effects him, and in a few more chapters we will move on to the next era - a medieval era! This one will be visiting Princess Guinevere and her Chat in shining armor - Lancelot! I'm super excited about it!**

 **Speaking of new stories, I'm considering starting a SYOT for The Hunger Games. It'd probably start this winter and I'd just collect tributes and do readings for a while, then things would pick up over the summer. Good idea or no?**

 **please please please review! It reminds me that people are still reading this story and motivates me to write!**


	13. The Roman Era Part 3

**Sorry guys, it's been a hot minute. What, over a month again? Oops. But this chapter has some very... interesting things going on. I can't wait to see your reactions, and I won't talk much more here!**

 **But real quick, let me thank my FOUR REVIEWERS! Thank you guys so much, I love hearing your input on what's going on!**

Several days passed in a daze. It was the same terrifying cycle. Sleep all day. Go out all night. Sometimes he'd wake up in the middle of the day and have to buy food for their house, but it was more of a curse for him in the end.

Whoever he saw ended up being a victim just a few days later.

Just yesterday he had bought milk and cheese from a young man with a cow. There wasn't an attack last night, but Valens couldn't imagine he'd ever see the poor boy alive again.

Everything was beginning to take a toll on him, too. As he stared into the mirror at himself, his dark hair was shiny with grease and his eyes were dull with dark bags under them. Valens looked like what he imagined people in the Underworld to look like. But instead of being dead, he was just barely clinging to life.

"Valens," a soft voice came from behind the door. Something wet dropped onto his shirt, and Valens realized he was crying. He scrubbed his eyes with the back of his hands before opening the door, wishing to be anywhere but there.

Another tear stained face stared back at him. "Lucia," he whispered. "Are you... how..." he trailed off, unsure of what to say.

There wasn't much to say. Their family was broken, and it had been ever since their mother had died several years earlier. The newest... development... was just what would push them over the edge. And now Valens was falling, falling, falling, with nothing to soften the blow.

Valens hadn't even realized he was lost in his thoughts until two arms wrapped themselves around his torso. Blankly, he put his own arms around Lucia's shoulders, one hand smoothing her hair down. He tried to think of something to say, but his voice trailed off as he heard her quiet sobs. A knife of pain founds its way into his heart, cutting deep with its pain.

Slowly, tears began making their way down his face too. The lump in his throat made him struggle to breathe, and his chest heaved. Whimpering noises came from his sister, and it made his heart clench more. No, no, no, why did the gods force them to endure this torture?

Why was the killer doing this? What was the purpose? They were a monster, a horrible monster that deserved nothing less than a painful end by his hands.

Valens wondered what Cataclysm would do to a human.

Lucia leaned away from him, taking a few shuddering breaths to calm herself. "Thank you," she whispered.

Slowly, Valens nodded. There was nothing else he could say to that.

He watched her trudge back into her room, and eyed his own closed door. A knock came from the front door before he could retreat back to his room, and he went to open it.

When he swung the door open, Valens saw long brown hair fly around as Cassia whipped her head towards him. "Valens!" she cried, then remembered the occasion. "I mean... Valens."

It was like his facial muscles had forgotten how to work. Instead of the usual grin that overtook his face when he saw her, he felt nothing. It was like he was made of stone.

"Cassia," he said without infliction. "What brings you here."

Even his questions were cold and callous like the stone he felt like. Cassia looked awkward now, shuffling back and forth in his open doorway. She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and flushed. "I came to see how you were after R-"

Valens lunges forward, slapping a hand over her mouth before she could finish saying it. "Don't say her name!" It was an order, not the request he was hoping it would come out as.

Which is why Valens felt himself fall further when he saw the flicker of fear in Cassia's eyes. His actions had made her fear him, her own fiancé. A wave of shame washed over him.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. He moved his hand from her mouth to her hair, gently running his fingers through it. "It's been... a lot. I shouldn't have snapped at you."

Her face softened and she stepped inside the door. "Of course, Valens." Her hands came up to rest on his shoulders, and Valens felt himself relax under her gentle touch. The knot that had been forming in the pit of his stomach for days began to unravel.

The lump in his throat began to form again, but Valens swallowed it down, forcing the tears back. "Cassia-"

"Shh," she mumbled, standing on her toes to reach his face. Gently, she pressed a kiss to each cheek before giving him a peck on the lips.

There hadn't been this much human contact in his life since the day _she_ died.

When he closed his eyes, he could still see her face. The long brown hair was pulled back into a braid, but tendrils hung around her face that she tucked behind her ears when she read. Her eyes squinted to read in the dim candlelight illuminating their kitchen table, where she was reading.

That peaceful image was soon washed in red. Blood red. Because of its unfortunate color, Chat Noir hadn't been able to look at Ladybug, her suit too similar to his sister's blood painting the aqueduct in a gruesome picture.

And the note laying beside her unmoving body...

 _Oh, Chat Noir, so strong and loyal to your friends and family. This is fun little game, isn't it? When will the protecter of Rome fall?_

The wording of the letter was strange. It implied that the killer knew who he was, but Valens didn't think much of it at the time. He thought maybe the killer was watching him as Chat Noir and picked up on some of his traits.

That is, until the next kill.

Valens went to the market to get a present for Cassia. That's where the lizard bracelet came from. It had been sold to him by a young man. They had chatted for a moment before he had shown Valens the lizard bracelet and told him the meaning. Valens didn't know jewelry or what lizards represented.

But this boy did, his face eager to help sell his precious jewelry and bring money home to his family. And so Valens bought the piece, a lovely bracelet with a lovely backstory for Cassia.

Who was the next kill?

It was hard to tell with the blood and gore surrounding him, but Valens would have recognized that hair anywhere. Jet black with almost a blue undertone, this time streaked with blood.

Leo told him later that the boy's name was Matthias.

It didn't soothe his aching heart, but things did seem better once he had a name to go with the kind face of a boy taken too soon.

"Valens!"

When did he end up on the floor? The last thing he could remember was kissing Cassia, and then...

Bile burning in the back of his throat, Valens swallowed thickly, shoving the image of his sister's dead body out of his mind. "I'm... I'm sorry, Cassia," he mumbled, a hand going up to cradle his head. "I'm sorry."

"Please, Valens. Don't apologize." Her hand moved to be on top of his, the other running through his hair. He whimpered softly and leaned his head into her touch, craving it like a cat.

Cassia began to speak, running her hands through his hair as she did so. "I can't begin to imagine what you're going through. I know losing your sister is hard, and especially like this. This is a hard blow for you and your family, and I-" Her voice cracked and she bowed her head, shoulders heaving. Valens didn't have to be a genius to know she was crying.

He pulled her closer to him, their torsos facing each other. His own eyes brimmed with unspilled tears waiting for their turn to fall. "Cassia-"

"No." Her shoulders shuddered with a sigh. "Let me finish." He brought his hands down to hers and held them comfortingly.

Without waiting for him to say something in response, she forged on. "I love you, Valens. I know we were put together by an arranged marriage, but that doesn't change how I feel about you. I feel that the gods themselves have blessed us by letting me end up with you, and all of this," she gestured wildly, "doesn't change a thing. You're still one of the strongest, bravest people I know and I know you'll be able to overcome this, and I'm grateful to be there with you every step of the way.

"I know you and Re- your sister, I mean, we're close, but-"

That's all it took to make his composure fail him. Sobs began to wrack Valens's body, and he couldn't even bring himself to feel an ounce of shame for crying like a baby in front of Cassia. Her hands were instantly back up to his face, brushing away as many tears as she could.

"Oh no, I'm so sorry, what did I say?" Her confusion was genuine, and he felt bad for having this reaction.

The sobs slowed enough for him to mutter two words. "We weren't."

Brows furrowing, Cassia frowned at him. "Weren't what?"

The pain in his heart stabbed deeper, making it hard to breathe. "We weren't close," he gasped. "She always had her books and this fierce desire to learn and to read and I never read with her, she would come over and ask me every day, and do you know what? I never did. I read with her once, right before she _died,_ Cassia. She's dead and gone and I couldn't do anything to stop it." He was cut off by gentle kisses peppering his face everywhere a tear tried to run down his face. Every breath was hard to take in, and he felt like he himself was spiraling out of control.

"Valens, there's nothing you could have done to stop it."

Those dreaded words. The instant she uttered them, the knife stabbed deeper. This time, he actually leaned forward and groaned. Being Chat Noir was no longer fun or cool, it was simply a burden for him to bear. Not that being Chat Noir had been easy in the first place... but he could have stopped this. If only he knew who the killer was or how or when they killed their victims. If only he hadn't gotten stuck with that stupid distraction last time. If only Leo-

Leo. Leo always knew what to do. He was who Valens went to after every murder. He could help!

"I can now." He stood quickly, wiping his face with the back of his hand. "I'm sorry Cassia, but I have things I need to do."

She scrambled up from the floor, at his side in an instant. "Valens, please-"

He opened the door, effectively silencing any argument. "I'm sorry, Cassia. I'll see you later, okay?"

Disheartened, she nodded and left quickly. He felt a flash of sympathy that was quickly gone as he ran to his room to put on shoes.

Sitting on his bed was a note. Valens grabbed it and skimmed it quickly, his eyes passing over the words as he put on a pair of shoes.

 _I just heard about Regina, and I'm so sorry. I know this is hard for you, and I'm here whenever you need me._

 _Marcella,_ the note was signed. Strange that she hadn't come in to say hi, but he knew she had known Regina too. She was probably just as broken up about it.

He looked out his window, and put the note back down on the bed. A visit to Leo would help things.

o~O~o

A visit to Leo most definitely did not help things.

When Valens arrived and knocked on the door at sunset, the door creaked open. It wasn't locked or even closed, which was unusual due to the state of Paris right now.

Then he stepped inside and stopped dead in his tracks. What used to be a neat studio was in complete chaos. Tables were overturned and tools were thrown onto the floor. A few sheet-covered bodies were haphazardly piled in a corner.

A few blood splatters were sprayed across the walls, filling Valens's stomach with dread. He stepped into the room, walking through the chaos until he reached the middle of the room. A larger pool of blood was there, but there were five dots that looked like they had been placed there. Maybe it was a message from Leo? Whatever it was, Valens couldn't figure it out now.

"Plagg, claws out!"

Instead of Valens leaving that ruined doctor's office, it was Chat Noir, leaping over rooftops to the aqueducts he knew would hold a body that night.

His night vision kicked in, the darkness covering Rome. His city. Under the stars, Chat Noir vowed to protect his city. No matter what the cost.

Water splashed under his feet, but he couldn't feel it. Everything passed by in a blur as he kept an eye out for bloodshed in the aqueducts.

There - a flash of red. Chat Noir followed it, and stopped short to find Ladybug hovering over Leo's body.

"Ladybug?" he asked. She jumped up, blood smeared on her suit.

"I'm so sorry," she sobbed, tears glistening in her eyes. "He was still alive when I found him, but I'm not sure now."

Chat took two more steps and collapsed. The aqueduct smacked against his knees. Blood snaked through the water, traveling towards his legs. His heart squeezed. But he didn't focus on that. Instead, he gritted his teeth and felt his blood begin to boil.

"Did you see?" The words were barely more than a whisper, deathly quiet as he tried to contain himself. His hands clenched and unclenched in the water.

"What?" That innocent voice came from behind him now.

He whirled around to face her, red water dripping from his gloves. "Did you see?" he screamed. "You said he was still alive when you found him."

"Oh," Ladybug paused, shooting a look at the body. "I didn't really see anything, just a blur. Then I tried to see if he was breathing, but it was shallow. I'm sorry, Kitty-"

Chat Noir turned his back on her before she could finish. He tried to feel for a pulse on Leo's body. It was barely more than a flutter. "Use your Lucky Charm."

It was silent for a moment behind him. He didn't bother looking at her. He didn't care. "What?"

"I think you heard me, Ladybug. Use your Lucky Charm to save this man's life. You hold the power of creation, now do something to _fix him!"_ His voice crescendoed as he spoke until he was screaming again. One of his hands moved up to Leo's face, but it was trembling so he quickly put it back down.

"Lucky Charm!" she called from behind him, a flash of pink light illuminating the area. What a sickening color, too bright and cheerful for this day.

 _Please be bandages. Please be something I can use to stop this bleeding,_ he prayed, hoping one of the gods would hear him. If he could get something to stop the bleeding, then he could try to save him.

Turning slowly, Chat kept all of his hopes buried deep down. He didn't want another heartbreak.

"What's that?"

Her Lucky Charm didn't seem very lucky. It came in the form of rope, but maybe that could help somehow? A red rope covered in dots-

"Ladybug?" he whispered, looking up at her. She kept her confusion plastered on her face, but he was beginning to see something different behind those innocent eyes.

"I don't know-" she tried to protest, but he cut her off and turned his back to her.

The five dots. Dots - for Ladybug's suit? Why would she need rope to help save Leo?

He stared at Leo's body, pieces clicking together like part of a messed up puzzle.

Chat Noir turned slowly, realizations hitting him all at once. The way she always knew exactly where the body was. The way she never really seemed affected by any of the deaths. The way nothing seemed to affect _her_ the way it affected him.

"You."

His voice was barely more than a whisper, but he knew she heard. Within seconds, he saw the Ladybug he knew turn into someone else entirely.

Instead of usual complacent smile, those lips turned into a wicked grin. Her eyes, filled with tears only moments before, were now only filled with coldness. Her back was straighter than he'd ever seen it. When she began walking toward him, it was with a swagger he'd never seen before.

"Oh, my little kitty..." Ladybug whispered, caressing his face with her gloved hand. Warm, sticky blood from the body by their feet now ran down the side of his face, making him grind his teeth together.

"Don't call me that," he managed to say. Red was beginning to fill his vision. The same red as her suit, the same red as the blood from each of the victims, and they were _all her fault._

Ladybug chuckled, stepping back and using her yo-to to ensnare his arms and pull him close. His green eyes met her brown ones, and he felt a wave of cold wash over him.

" _I'm Ladybug," she said, walking along the aqueduct away from him. The stream wasn't flowing, but there were red smears on the sides of the stone. "Who are you?" She turned her head slightly and he saw her face highlighted by the light from a window. Her blue eyes stood out for a moment before she turned away again, expecting him to answer._

 _She turned her head slightly and he saw her face highlighted by the light from a window. Her blue eyes stood out for a moment before she turned away again..._

 _Her blue eyes..._

"What did you do to her!" he screamed, voice breaking. "You're not her! You never have been! Everything you've done is a lie-"

"The only thing I could never change was my eyes, Valens." His name again. How did she know his _name?_

Ladybug leaned in close, so close that one movement would have their noses touching. That cruel smile seemed to mock him, making fun of his stupidity. This wasn't really Ladybug at all.

"You stole her miraculous," he whispered. He was completely numb for several long moments. Then, everything hit at once.

"Why? You've been by my side as I asked that question all along! You knew! You killed Viviana! You killed Leo! You killed my sister!" he howled, going slack in the string of her yo-yo. Chat Noir don't know what to do or say. He had so many questions, but there was no way he'd actually get answers for most of them.

In one smooth move, Ladybug unwrapped her yo-yo from his body, and Chat Noir fell to the ground. The blood from Leo's body stained his hands and knees as he hit the ground hard, knees too weak to support his weight any longer. When he looked up at Ladybug, who didn't even seem to be the same person she was a few minutes ago, her eyes were full of a bitter hatred.

"Why?" he gasped, his heart racing too fast for him to catch a breath.

"Because, my darling _Chaton,"_ Ladybug crooned, disappearing into the shadows. "You have to keep your friends close and your enemies closer."

 **Eh? How's that for a cliffhanger! Did anyone see that coming? Catch my foreshadowing? Got any predictions for next chapter?**

 **I'm so excited to show off the final part of the Roman Era next time! I do a lot of writing on long road trips, and I have another one tomorrow, so maybe you'll see me again a lot sooner than you think!**

 **I'm dying to hear your input on this chapter! Please let me know what you think, feel, whatever!**

 **And again, next story is about King Arthur in Camelot! I'm rather excited for this one, and I'll probably add a few elements from the TV show Merlin to mix things up. Lady Guinevere is obviously our lovely Ladybug, but Lancelot is Chat Noir! A story of a princess and her knight in shining armor ;)**


	14. The Roman Era Part 4

**I'm baaack! Here is the FINAL installment of the Roman Era! It was a wild ride to write, and I hope I did it justice. Let's go!**

Chat Noir couldn't follow her immediately. Not when Leo was still bleeding out in an aqueduct. No, he took Leo back to his own office, cradling his body gently.

He burst into Leo's ruined space, using Leo's body to clear a space on a table. A sob caught in the back of his throat and he choked it down. He was stupid. Why didn't he see this coming?

Tears burned in his eyes, and he realized that he'd cried more today than in the past several years. He released his transformation and collapsed to his knees, Plagg going beside Leo's still body.

The tiny black cat shoved a few more objects onto the floor before settling on Leo's chest. Valens could see his kwami rise and fall just the slightest.

"Bandages," he whispered, hauling himself to his feet. He stumbled into a table, his legs uneasy beneath him. He swiped his sleeve over his eyes, drying the stubborn tears tracking down his face. "Plagg, where would I find bandages?"

"I don't know, kid," the kwami said. "But he's definitely going. As the kwami of destruction, I can feel this sort of thing. He's fighting, but he's weak. Whatever Ladybug did to him, it's sure working."

"Did you know?" The words coming out of his mouth were harsh. Valens felt sorry for taking out his feelings on the kwami, but he couldn't help himself. "Can you feel Ladybug? Did you know she was like this? That she was... evil?" He made his way over to cabinets on the wall and began rummaging through.

"Kid, I can feel Tikki, Ladybug's kwami. She's the yang to my yin - and not the other way around." Noticing Valens's blank stare, Plagg sighed. "... that's a Chinese thing. Well, I'm the dark to her light, the cold to her warmth, whatever sappy crap you'd like to plug in there. We're opposites, but we compliment each other. Creation can only go so far before it must be destroyed to create more. And conversely, if there was only destruction, there would quickly be nothing left. We work together like that. That's why she has her Lucky Charm and you have Cataclysm. When the day is done, she can fix anything you destroy.

"But I haven't felt anything from Tikki in too long. I've known something was off, but it could have just been the stress of her holder. The holder can affect the kwami and how we interact with each other. So I was worried, but not enough to cause more alarm than necessary." Plagg finished, looking up at Valens. "If I had known that it was this bad, I would have told you. But with everything going on, you didn't need more on your plate."

Valens didn't respond for a long moment, instead choosing to continue shuffling through cabinets. He set aside a few things labeled as painkillers in his frantic search.

"I forgive you, Plagg." The words weren't easy to say, but he said them anyway. Just because Plagg was practically ancient didn't mean he knew everything. Not at all. Plagg was still like an overgrown kid with way too much power. And without a good Miraculous holder, or even without one at all, Plagg could wreak disaster. He'd already heard about the dinosaurs. Valens had no idea what those were, but he was glad they weren't around anymore. Giant monsters roaming the earth? No thank you. He shook his head to get rid of the idea of monsters eating Rome.

Finally, he opened a cabinet with a collection of white cloths. Bandages, or at least something he could use as bandages.

Valens grabbed as many as he could carry and dumped them on the table beside Leo's body. "Plagg, grab me something to cut with," he ordered. Did he at all know what he was doing? No, but he'd sure as hell make sure he saved Leo's life. He owed Leo this much, especially because it was all his fault. Everything here was his own fault.

Plagg flew off and returned a few moments later with a large knife. Valens rolled his eyes but began cutting Leo's shirt off anyway. He cursed.

"His shirt is getting stuck to all these bloody spots," he muttered. And it was. Blood and water had soaked the man's shirt, making it heavy and stick to his skin. The tender skin still oozing blood. Letting out another foul curse, Valens stared down at his friend's prone body. He had done this to his friend, and he couldn't stop it. He needed help, but he had no one. If he couldn't trust Ladybug, who could he trust? Was loyalty nothing now?

A knock sounded on the door. Valens whirled around, and Plagg hid himself in the pocket of Valens's ruined, bloodstained tunic. Who could be there at this hour?

"Leo? Leonidas?" A female voice. One Valens knew all too well.

"Lucia?" he called, then cursed. She now knew he was here and would ask way too many questions. Questions that Valens couldn't answer.

A beat, and then Lucia responded. "Valens?" She pushed the door open, since he had never locked it, Valens remembered.

Dressed in a simple tunic that their father would die if he found out she'd gone out in public in, Lucia looked like she'd just rolled out of bed. Her dark hair was messy and her eyes had bags under them. She closed the door behind her and gaped at Valens.

"Uh..." Valens stuttered. He had no idea what he was supposed to do here. His sister was currently staring at his bloodstained clothes, the knife in his hand, and Leo's still body on the table in front of him. "This isn't what it looks like!"

Lucia snorted, stepping back against the door, her hand searching for the doorknob. "I think I'm going to-"

"No!" He shouted. "Please don't go, Lucia. I'm not the killer. But I know who is, and this man is alive and he needs your help." Without thinking, he gestured at Leo's body with the knife. After realizing what he'd done, he quickly put it down.

Lucia relaxed slightly. Her eyes, however, still showed that she was on edge.

"I can prove it," Valens promised. He stepped back from the table, closing his eyes. I can't believe I'm doing this, he thought. But it was the only way.

"Plagg, claws out!" Without protesting, Plagg let himself get sucked into the silver ring shining on Valens's right ring finger. He felt himself be surrounded by a black aura, and then he transformed into Chat Noir.

When the transformation was complete, Chat Noir stood in front of a flabbergasted Lucia, whose jaw hit the floor from shock.

Weakly, Chat Noir said, "Ta-da?"

In several large strides, Lucia crossed the room and threw her arms around him. Chat Noir closed his eyes and hugged her back just as tightly. After a long moment of comfort, the siblings leaned back.

Lucia smiled sweetly and then punched Chat Noir in the arm as hard as she could. Then cackled as he yelped, rubbing his arm. Not that it really hurt, with the miraculous protection, but he didn't want to risk the wrath of his sister.

"I can't believe you! You're Chat Noir, and you didn't even tell us? You were sneaking out all night and risking your life every day? Valens, I'm going to kick your-"

Chat Noir cut her off. "Not now, Lucia. Leo was the next victim and I need your help. The killer is in the streets of Rome right now, and Leo is dying. Can you help me stop the bleeding and watch him while I go after the killer?"

Face pale, Lucia nodded gravely. A rush of warmth surged over Chat Noir's body. He was so unbelievably proud of his sister.

His eyes welled up again, making Lucia roll her eyes. "Save the sappiness for after I save Leo. You go get a killer."

"Are you sure?" Chat Noir asked, noting the way she stalled as she stared down at the bloody body.

"Positive." Lucia gave him a wide smile. "Besides, you grabbed a bunch of cleaning cloths. These aren't even bandages."

He flashed her a sheepish grin before vaulting out of the house. The cold wind nipped his ears and he breathed in deeply, preparing himself for the night ahead.

Heading up to the aqueducts, Chat Noir kept an eye out for a flash of red. He felt the tiles of the roofs beneath his feet, his heightened agility preventing him from falling off of the roof in a heap as he normally would. Instead, he ran on all fours like a cat would. Like Chat Noir.

He reached the aqueducts after a few short minutes and began prowling along the waterway. Chat had no idea where Ladybug would be. Turns out, he didn't know her very well at all.

It didn't get past him that he had let this happen. If he had realized that she was evil, if he had put these pieces together earlier, or even tried harder, then he would have been able to save more of the people she killed in cold blood.

Not to mention she killed the original Ladybug. Who must've been the first murder.

He could still see her. Even now, she was the worst. A young girl, probably only seventeen. A few years younger than Chat himself, but he hadn't paid much attention to it at the time. She had long brown hair and brilliant blue eyes that dimmed in death.

Her body had rotted for a few days before it was left out. Chunks of skin were missing, all of her fingers had been broken in multiple places, and she had lacerations all over her body. Chat Noir had hurled when he first saw it, and Ladybug...

Ladybug had the audacity to retch on the other side of the aqueduct. She had pretended to be affected by all of this, when it was clearly just a mind game. She clearly enjoyed toying with him.

That's when Chat Noir realized exactly where Ladybug would go.

Back to a place he'd shared his hatred for several times. Back to a place he'd told Ladybug he'd hated. Back to a place they'd been offered for a fight of their own.

Chat Noir turned his glowing green eyes toward the Colosseum. It seemed to taunt him. He knew Ladybug would be there waiting for him.

o~O~o

Without a sound, Chat Noir landed in the middle of the Colosseum. He'd never been inside, at least not since he was very young. The idea of watching gladiators murder each other for sport was sickening. And now he stepped into the Colosseum, where he or Ladybug might die. This was the kind of thing he had always wanted to avoid, but here he was anyway. Apparently there were some things you just can't avoid.

Chat held his tongue as he ambled around the Colosseum aimlessly, searching for any sign of Ladybug. The stands were empty, but the ground was stained with blood from the fight tonight. It was a shame such beautiful architecture was wasted on a grisly event.

He headed into an underground tunnel, running a hand along the walls. Men walked here every day to their deaths.

He got so lost in his own thoughts that he ran right into a rack full of weapons. A yelp escaped as a mace crashed to the ground, barely missing his foot. "Well, there goes the element of surprise..." he muttered morosely.

A loud crash came from the end of the tunnel he had already come from. Chat's head snapped toward the entrance of the tunnel, where a gate now prevented him from leaving the tunnel.

He turned back to the selection of weapons in front of him. He recognized very few of them, so he ended up grabbing a sword that he kept in his hand and a dagger that he slid in his belt. Feeling better prepared, Chat Noir stalked toward the gate that now barred his access to the Colosseum floor.

"Are you ready for the fight of the century?" A taunting voice came from above, echoing in the stadium.

"Ladybug!" he howled, rattling the gate door. "Let me out and fight me!" Chat Noir stepped back, running a hand through his hair.

He was positively aching for a fight. After this long dance with the serial killer of Rome, he was in the same place with her. He bounced on the balls of his feet, ready for when she decided to attack.

"In one corner, we have the ever brave and loyal Chat Noir!" The gate began to rise slowly, Chat Noir willing it to open faster.

"Come on, come on!" he urged the gate with his voice. He adjusted his grip on the sword in his right hand - his dominant hand. Itching for a fight, he strode confidently into the arena as soon as he could get under the gate.

"But this isn't just Chat Noir, he's also Valens, the polite and distant son of Lucius. He recently lost his sister, and he's been very emotional." The voice continued teasing from above. Chat couldn't see Ladybug's red suit yet, but he knew it was her.

"In the other corner is the biggest bitch ever, Ladybug herself!" Chat yelled, hoping to anger her into coming out of hiding.

A low laugh echoed around the arena. "Don't test me, Chat Noir."

"Why not?" he yelled, opening his arms to the stands. "What more could you take from me?" A lot. He knew that was the answer, but he wanted to know how much she knew. How long she'd been watching him.

The dark chuckle turned into peals of laughter. "Oh, Kitty," Ladybug crooned. "What else could I take from you? A lot. More than you could stand to lose."

There - from where the Emperor would sit. Ladybug now lounged in his throne, in the box covered with luxurious red cloths. She sat like she was the Emperor himself, wearing her red suit like it was a set of royal robes. A wicked grin was her crown.

Her confidence made Chat Noir grind his teeth. "Get down here and fight me, Ladybug."

She hummed, a sound that he could still hear from how far away she was. "Next I could take out your other sister - Lucia, correct? A sassy little thing, but I knew she would draw more attention than the Regina bi-"

Ladybug had to leap out of the throne to avoid the dagger that he threw with deadly accuracy. It struck right where her head used to be. With his enhanced reflexes, he was able to handle a weapon he'd never touched in his life.

"You don't deserve to say her name!" The sound that came out of his throat was raw and full of hurt. The ache in his own heart pulsed, reminding him that he was broken.

"Regina," Ladybug whispered.

Chat Noir squeezed his eyes closed. "Stop," he called.

"Regina," her voice grew louder as she said the name no one in his own home had dared to say. He hadn't heard the name since the day she died. "Regina!"

Regina meant queen, and that's what she had been. A queen among humans, and she was taken too soon, just like the other queens in mythology. Chat Noir only hoped that she would have her own place among the stars, among the heroes.

His enhanced hearing caught a swooshing noise, and his eyes flashed open. Just in time to duck as a knife slashed past his face. Revenge for his strike at her earlier.

Ladybug now stood across the arena from him. "She pleaded as I slaughtered her. Kept asking me to spare her, asking why I was doing this." Her eyes flickered with a sadistic joy at the horrors she had caused. Chat felt his stomach revolt at the information she was giving him, but he steeled himself.

"When I'm done with you, you won't have the guts," Ladybug giggled and flashed a knife at him, "to stop me!"

Chat Noir roared and charged Ladybug, snatching the sword from his back. He didn't want to use the blunt baton - no, she deserved worse. So much worse. He'd never felt so uncontrollable.

Pain sliced through his stomach as Ladybug ducked his blow and gave him a long, shallow scratch across his abdomen. When she danced backwards, her blade was slick with his blood.

Groaning, Chat let a hand drop to his stomach, taking in the blood leaking from it. His clawed hands gently poked at his abdomen, checking to see if the injury was serious. To his relief, it didn't look bad, but Chat knew that Ladybug wouldn't be so generous next time.

"It was a hard decision, deciding who to go after," Ladybug taunted. They clashed together again before springing apart, both sustaining no injuries.

Sweat dropped down Chat Noir's brow and he circled around the arena. He prowled like the cat whose suit he wore. His green eyes glowed and his ears perked up as he sensed something moving behind him. Ladybug had maneuvered them so his back was to a trap she had set for him.

He leapt nimbly out of the way as a rope snapped up from where his feet were. If he hadn't been paying attention, it would have jerked him into the air.

Something resembling a gleeful cackle escaped his mouth then. "You missed."

"Maybe you weren't what I was aiming for," Ladybug whispered, performing a series of backflips as she got closer to him. Showing off, of course.

His ears twitched, and he tried to move, but the cage slammed down on top of his legs before he could clear the area. A guttural scream tore from his throat as his legs were brutally pinned to the ground. Pain made his vision darken, and he felt Plagg in his subconscious urging him to go on.

Ladybug knelt beside him and drew a wicked knife from her boots. She looked down at him unable to move, tilted her head back, and laughed long and loud.

"Why?" He whispered, unable to say more.

Then, lightning fast, the knife wasn't in her hand anymore, it was embedded in his left hand that struggled to reach the bars of the cage. It was pinned to the ground as he howled. Ladybug grabbed the other hand and rubbed it gently, a deceivingly sweet smile on her face.

"Because, Valens," she crooned, continuing to massage his hand. "You left me. You left me for that other girl. We were the best of friends and you left all of that for another girl." Her hand moved quickly and snapped the bone in his pinky. Chat might've screamed. He couldn't tell over the sound of his inner turmoil.

"Mar-Marcella?" His voice and heart broke as he spoke her name, unable to believe it. "No, you can't - you can't be-"

Another scream tore from his mouth as she grabbed him by the hair and lifted his face to hers. In a flash he could see it. Marcella's dark eyes, Marcella's dark hair, obscured by a mask. He'd been a fool not to see it. And now he was paying the consequences.

"Jealous," he whispered, chuckling low to himself. It was funny, really. His own laughing escalated until he was cackling.

Ladybug's lovely face twisted into a sneer. "I was not jealous," she spat indignantly. Her hand twisted in his hair, making him cringe.

"You've always been jealous of me. And you were jealous of Cassia for being close to me. Regina for being smarter than you. Lucia for being more enjoyable than you. Viviana chose someone else to give the miraculous to, and you were jealous of that too." He suddenly reared up on his arms, ignoring the pain in the rest of his body. Ladybug fell backwards with a gasp, releasing his hair. His nose brushed hers as his voice crescendoed. "But you know what, Marcella? You have everything you've ever wanted, and it's not enough. No, you've killed and killed to give yourself more power and happiness, and it has never worked. You're still cold and miserable, and you know it. Because you have to deal with yourself even when no one else wants to."

Her face was pale with shock and horror. Chat Noir's intestines twisted as he finished yelling those horrible, horrible things. Part of him felt gleeful, but the rest of him was sickened. Sickened at himself for saying it, and sickened at her for making it all true.

While she was still dazed by the blow of his words, Chat Noir yelled, "Cataclysm!" He contorted his body toward the cage, and he heard Ladybug scream behind him.

His hand was moving to fast to be stopped, but it hit too soon.

Instead of disintegrating the steel cage, instead his catastrophic power was placed on Ladybug's arm, where she had tried to stop him. He watched, horrified, as her body began to turn black.

"No!" he shrieked, his brain searching for something to do, something to stop this. All he could do was watch as her body began to crumble into a pile of black sand.

"You're the same as me now," she whispered as the destruction reached her face. "A monster."

And then she was gone.

Two red and black spotted earrings landed in her pile of ashes. Chat reached out a hand and grabbed the earrings, whimpering softly. Tears began to fill his eyes as mucus filled his throat. It choked him as a red kwami popped out of the earrings.

His ring beeped, informing him that he had five minutes before changing back. Not that it mattered anyway.

"I'm Tikki," the kwami said stoically. "I'm the kwami for the ladybug miraculous. It may not seem like it, but I'm grateful that you freed me." Her face was down, hiding her emotions. Not that Chat imagined they would be good.

She floated over to the cage on top of his legs and took in a deep breath. When she breathed out, she closed her eyes and placed a tiny paw on the cage. Vines grew out of the ground and moved the cage to the side, freeing his legs.

A soft moan left his lips as he felt the pressure leave. Tikki floated down to his legs and breathed deeply once more, and a sense of peace went through him. His legs healed under her touch.

"Thank you," he whispered, standing up. His ring beeped again as he wiped his eyes on the sleeve of his suit.

"Take me back to Leo. He'll know what to do," Tikki said in a hushed tone.

o~O~o

"What happened?" Lucia leaned against the counter, blood staining her tunic. Leo was sleeping on the cot, covered in bandages now. Lucia had assured Valens that he would be fine.

"It was Marcella." The news still didn't seem real to him. He kept waiting to wake up from this dream. Not a dream - a nightmare. He was numb again, his chest holding two pieces to a broken heart.

Lucia gasped. "Marcella like your best friend?"

He nodded, unable to say more. He stared at Leo's body on the table. When he looked up, Lucia was right in front of him. "Hey," she said softly, offering her arms out for a hug. "I'm here with you."

Only a moment passed before he swept her up in his arms and held on tight, like she might be taken away from his at any moment. When he closed his eyes, he could still see Ladybug crumbling to dust, taking away his partner and best friend in one fell swoop.

"I killed her," he said. Lucia tensed, her hands rubbing his back gently. "I killed her, and she called me a monster." The tears began to flow again, running down his face. He didn't necessarily feel anything anymore. He was numb.

"Do monsters cry for those they killed?" Lucia asked. Valens concentrated on the sound of her voice. "Do monsters still care?"

She leaned back so she could see his face. Her thumb brushed a tear off his cheek. "You're crying, Valens. I see no monster. Only the hero of Rome."

The thought brought a weak smile to his face as he sniffled. He wiped his face with his sleeve, not caring about the wetness on his clothes now.

"What happened?"

Valens gasped as Leo struggled to rise on the table. Lucia whirled beside him, and they both stared for a long moment.

"Oh!" Lucia ran over to Leo's side to check on his injuries.

Unable to help it, Valens laughed. A smile spread over his face. Leo was alive!

"You're alive!" He cried, running over to Leo's side.

The older man looked down at his own bloodstained body wrapped in bandages. "I guess I am."

"Valens," Lucia called from the other side of the room. Valens hadn't even noticed her leave Leo's side. "I found this in Leo's pocket. Is it important?"

A green bracelet dangled from her outstretched hand. The missing Miraculous! Leo must've gotten his hands on it while fighting Ladybug. Marcella.

As Valens took the miraculous from his sister, he smiled. Everyone was here. Lucia, Cassia, and Leo all survived. He was still getting married. He was still Chat Noir. The Miraculous has been found.

It was all okay.

o~O~o

 _Dear future Chat Noirs,_

 _The burden of a Miraculous is a heavy one. I myself paid that price many times over before I retired as Chat Noir. I'm sure Plagg has shared my story, as it is a rather infamous one._

 _After the Ladybug ordeal, I almost gave up being Chat Noir right then. But I realized that Rome still needed me, and I still needed it. Taking care of my city helped me heal._

 _I never heard from Marcella's family after she died. It's almost as if they disappeared with her._

 _Cassia and I got married in spring, and we have four children. I love then with all my heart, and watching my family grow has been the best experience of my life._

 _Lucia became the new Ladybug to help me out. She's waiting in the other room to take my Miraculous when I'm done. I'm sure she will do a wonderful job deciding what to do with it._

 _My time has come to give up Chat Noir. Being him has taught me much, and I hope you will learn as well. Be loyal to your cause no matter the cost, and it will never take you in the wrong direction._

 _Signing off,_

 _Valens_

 **And there you have it! The Roman Era is completed! I've mentioned this a few times, but next up is the Arthurian Era! I still haven't decided on a name haha.**

 **Leave a review, tell me how you feel! This was a long one, and some very... interesting things went down. Thank you for all FIVE of you that reviewed last time, that's so amazing! I loved hearing your feedback, and I hope seeing your predictions come true was still entertaining!**


	15. The Arthurian Era Part 1

**Sorry it took me so long to get this out, I actually had this chapter finished about a month ago. Buuut then i reread it and realized how confusiong it was, so i had to start all over. But with finals and everything, I've only just now managed to work on it. Enjoy!**

"Lancelot and Guinevere? But what about King Arthur?" Adrien asked, pestering Plagg with his endless curiosity.

Adrien was searching for a happier story, now that the dark tale of the Roman Era was over. Plagg couldn't promise that the ending of this one was much better, but he could promise that no miraculous holder would betray anyone in this story.

"Kid, I don't make the rules. I don't choose the miraculous holders. That's all up to whoever has the turtle miraculous. They're supposed to be all wise or whatever and make sure miraculous don't get into the wrong hands." But sometimes they do, is what he didn't say. And Adrien wasn't going to say it either.

Plagg coughed. "But anyway, yes. King Arthur wasn't the Chat Noir of this story. It's interesting that he rose to greatness without the help of a miraculous or magic, like those he surrounded himself with. He had powerful allies, yes, but he pulled the sword out of the stone. He ruled his kingdom. That was all him."

"And he married Guinevere, his true love, right?" Adrien asked, trying to remember the stories he'd heard about Camelot. Unfortunately, they all jumbled together in his head, contradicting each other.

Plagg laughed darkly. "There's more to the story than you know, Adrien."

o~O~o

On any given day, you could find a traveler that swore Camelot was the most beautiful place he'd ever seen. His eyes would look off into the distance as he told tales of the high castle walls, the happy people, and, of course, the great King Uther, who had single handedly gotten rid of all evil magic users.

King Uther was serious and stern. In the dim light of a candle, you might hear concern of the unfair laws prosecuting anyone with a hint of magic, but that was put out as quickly as the light from the candle.

Nevertheless, King Uther was still hailed as a mighty and powerful king. He had ruled alone for years, as his wife died when his beloved son, Arthur, was born. King Uther may have been the king Camelot needed, his son was the king destined to bring Camelot to greatness.

As King Uther was aging, he knew his son would have to take his place sooner or later. When Arthur turned 21, he was officially named the Crown Prince of Camelot, ensuring that he was next in line for the throne, should anything happen to King Uther. The promise of a new time for Camelot was overwhelming, and the kingdom rejoiced at the hope for the future.

Prince Arthur was a brave, charming royal prince, though he often came off as cocky. His three best friends were a maid of the palace, Guinevere, a knight of the round table, Lancelot, and Arthur's personal manservant, Merlin. Each had a different upbringing, but that didn't stop them all from being the best of friends.

Guinevere was a strong, spunky young woman that caught Arthur's eye as she worked for Morgana, the King's ward, in the palace. He had instantly fallen hopelessly in love with her, though she seemed to be looking in other place for romance.

Lancelot was the best knight Camelot had. When he first arrived in Camelot, he bested Arthur in a duel and proved his worthiness as a knight. He also caught the eye of Guinevere, and the two shared an especially close bond. He was very similar to Arthur in that they were both talented swordsmen and very charismatic, but Lancelot had a humbleness that Arthur didn't seem to possess.

Merlin, however, was the most special of them all. After miraculously saving Arthur at a feast, King Uther had gifted him with the "honor" of being Arthur's servant. The two had gotten off to a rough start, as Merlin was a fool sometimes and Arthur was a royal prat. But as the years went on, the two grew close and became just as inseparable as the rest of them.

Then, the traveler would begin to speak of the king's ward, Morgana. Her father had died tragically in the war that led to King Uther banning magic. King Uther and her father had been best friends, so he took Morgana into his home as his own. The details behind the whole thing were fairly unknown, but everyone spoke of Morgana's incredible beauty.

All of it was true. She had long, raven-dark hair and deep, crystal blue eyes. She always seemed to glow with life, and her personality charmed everyone that talked to her. She was flawless - too perfect. But everyone was enchanted by her, and she loved it.

On any given day, the traveler would be captivated by Camelot and everyone in it. The light and warmth of Camelot's atmosphere welcomed any weary traveler.

But as Lancelot strolled through the halls of the palace, dressed in all black, he knew today was different. Today was a bad day.

For King Uther was dead, and today all of Camelot was in mourning. A strong king had passed, but was his death a blessing or a curse? He had kept Camelot secure during his reign, but at what cost? Magic had been banned, and every magic user found had been executed. Not all of them were dead, however, as several had shown up in the past several years to get revenge. None of it worked, though, due to-

"Lancelot!" He perked up at the sound of a very familiar voice. Guinevere was walking down the hallway toward him, a basket full of clothes on her hip.

He smiled as she neared, taking in her long black mourning dress. "You look great, Guinevere. Doing work before the funeral?"

A laugh escaped her lips, and he found himself staring at her like a lovesick puppy. "You know me," she teased, brushing her hand on his arm. "I'm always working."

He brought his hand to her cheek, and she reflexively leaned into it, sighing contentedly. "This good spell was lasting too long. I should've known something would go wrong," Lancelot said, letting his eyes roam over her face, as if to check if she was alright.

"Lancelot, I'm fine," she reassured him. In one smooth movement, she went up on her toes and pressed a kiss to his lips. One peck and then she leaned back. "We have to go support Arthur. He needs us," she whispered.

A bird cawed outside, making Lancelot jump. "But I want to support you," he whispered as she giggled. "You're the one I love."

To his surprise, a tense look came over Guinevere's face. Instead of the usual gleeful happiness, it was much more… well, unhappy. "Lancelot, there's something you-"

CRASH!

Lancelot and Guinevere whirled around to find Merlin at the end of the hallway, a tray and spilled food all around him. He had a sheepish look on his face as he looked up. "I'm - sorry, I just - and Arthur needs his food, but I - need to talk to Lancelot." He scrambled to his feet and surveyed the mess around him, sighing deeply. "I always make such a mess," he muttered to himself.

As if remembering he had company, he cleared his throat and flushed bright red. "Oh! Guinevere, could you possibly help me out here?" Merlin gestured to the fallen food.

Guinevere squeezed Lancelot's hand before going to help Merlin, willingly adding more chores to her own list just to help out a friend. Merlin caught her arm, and Lancelot watched as he whispered something to her. Guinevere nodded shortly before excusing herself, picking up the fallen tray and heading down the stairs, disappearing from sight.

Lancelot had just stood there watching it all, and he was very confused. "Merlin," he started, but Merlin was already halfway down the hallway in the other direction.

"Come on, Lancelot!" he called. "Not much longer until the funeral, and we still have things to do!"

Bewildered, Lancelot followed Merlin, who was rather speedy for someone as clumsy as he was. Merlin's dark hair disappeared around corners as Lancelot chased after him, finally ending in the chambers of Gaius, the court physician.

The rooms that belonged to Gaius were quite spacious, especially considering the only people that lived there were the old man and Merlin, who also worked as his apprentice. Bottles of medicine and bookshelves full of medicinal practices covered every inch of the space Lancelot could see, and he had to step carefully. Merlin was already across the room, and he hadn't even spilled anything or broken anything or made a mess. Luckily for Lancelot, the exercises Arthur had him do as a knight seemed to help him stay balanced and light on his feet as he journeyed across the room.

"Merlin, have you ever considered cleaning the place?" Lancelot asked when he reached Merlin's room, which was probably more messy than the work area.

"Gaius works out there, I work in here," Merlin grinned impishly. He was standing over by a desk, and his blue eyes glowed gold as he opened a secret compartment in the desk.

Using magic, of course.

Merlin was the most powerful sorcerer to ever live, but it was a big secret. In fact, only Lancelot and Guinevere knew of it. Arthur was left out because of his father. King Uther had taught Arthur that magic was evil, and Merlin feared that Arthur's loyalty would take over and betray him if Merlin ever told Arthur his secret.

"Couldn't you have just opened that?" Lancelot deadpanned. In private, Merlin liked to show off his magic, which is what he was probably doing now.

Inside the compartment was an old box with engravings on it. Lancelot could clearly see a pad where you pushed in a code, but Merlin insisted on using magic again.

"Merlin, really-" Lancelot ignored the opening box, instead choosing to make fun of Merlin.

Merlin smacked his hand on Lancelot's shoulder. "It's cooler this way," he complained, lifting a smaller box out of the container.

"Are you going to open that box with you magic, too?" Lancelot teased, but the look on Merlin's face was suddenly serious.

"You know I have magic," Merlin began. "But what you don't know is that I also guard the miraculous." He held up his wrist and pushed back his sleeve, showing off a green bracelet. "This is the turtle miraculous. I protect the other miraculous and Arthur as well. But in light of our new situation, I I fear I will need more help."

Lancelot stared at Merlin. "Merlin, you're not making any sense."

"I'll get there," he promised, "just let me finish, please."

Lancelot nodded and sat down on the bed, his head trying to keep up with the information being thrown at him. "Sorry," he said.

"You are one of the people that Arthur trusts most. And he's the future of Camelot." Merlin turned around and grabbed a box from the very top of the container. "So you will be receiving the cat miraculous, which destroys. I figure we'll need its help for whatever enemies come our way." Merlin held the box out to Lancelot.

Lancelot snorted. "So I'm going to have this really powerful thing called a miraculous, and my power is destruction, but the animal I get is a _cat?_ Merlin, are you sure this isn't a joke?" He stared at the box.

That was apparently the wrong thing to say.

Merlin jerked the box backward. "Don't you understand? The king is _dead._ Arthur could be next. I'm trying to give you a powerful tool to help you, and you're laughing at it. You're supposed to be one of his best friends!" Merlin was rambling, gesturing wildly with the box.

"Merlin," Lancelot said gently, standing to take the box.

"I'm not done with you," Merlin hissed, stepping back and bumping into his desk. "This is the power of destruction! You can't treat it like a joke! I don't even have a partner for you yet!"

Lancelot grappled with Merlin, trying to wrestle the box away. "Merlin, a partner? You're not explaining this well at all!"

Finally, he managed to knock the box out of Merlin's hand, and the two of them fell to the floor in a heap, the box tumbling across the floor and opening several feet away. In a flash of green light, a black _thing_ came out of the box. It looked like a tiny flying cat with a really big head.

Lancelot let out a very unmanly scream and scrambled backwards. "Merlin, what is _that?"_ he yelled, raising a finger to point at the creature.

"I thought you were supposed to make sure he didn't freak out," the cat grumbled. He yawned, stretching his body out.

"I was getting to that!" Merlin insisted, getting off the floor and dusting himself off. "Lancelot, this is the kwami of destruction, Plagg. He's a cat and loves cheese, especially the stinkiest kinds imaginable."

Lancelot sat on the floor, his gaze flickering wildly between the kwami, the open box, and Merlin. After a few long moments, he settled on, "It can talk?"

Merlin winced as if he knew what was coming.

"I am a he, and my name is Plagg, kid," the cat hissed before whirling on Merlin. "I want another one. You said there were more knights. Give me one of those," he demanded.

Panic flashed through Lancelot's mind. "Wait! I do want to help," he promised, using the edge of the bed to pull himself upright. "This is just a lot to take in."

Plagg floated over to Merlin. The two whispered back and forth for a long moment before looking back at Lancelot. He realized he was the only one still on the ground and scrambled up.

In a flash, Plagg was in his face. Lancelot stared into the kwami's green eyes. "Ow!" Lancelot yelped. He stumbled back and held his forehead with one hand. "Why'd you hit me?"

"You annoyed me," Plagg deadpanned. "You have one chance to prove yourself as Chat Noir, otherwise I'm having Merlin give me to someone else."

Lancelot nodded vigorously, his black hair falling in his eyes. He swept the curls out of his eyes. "Forgive me, Plagg."

Merlin interjected, "We still have a funeral to get to."

Lancelot's face fell. He was going to have to deal with a depressed Arthur again - though he didn't blame his best friend for feeling that way. Today he was going to have to bury his father, become the official King, and he had a special announcement to make.

All in a day's work as the new King of Camelot.

He groaned, rubbing a hand on his face. "How do you deal with this kind of thing every day, Merlin?"

Merlin shrugged and picked the box up off the floor, offering its contents to Lancelot. "I just take it one day at a time. It's not that bad when it's for the people I love." There was an odd look on his face as he said that, but Merlin was an odd person, so Lancelot didn't pay it too much attention.

Instead, he looked inside the box that Merlin's was offering him. Inside the box was a simple silver ring. Lancelot took it out and peered at it. "Isn't this kind of small? How is this supposed to fit?"

Merlin grabbed the ring and slipped it on Lancelot's finger for him. "Open your mind, Lancelot. Magic still exists in this world, and you'll need to learn to deal with it as the time goes."

Lancelot guffawed, looking at the ring on his finger. "You sound like a wise old man, Merlin."

The sorcerer's face was grave when he looked back up. "Magic is a terrible burden that I hate to put on you," he whispered. Then his demeanor changed quickly. "Plagg needs a place to stay with you. If there's ever any danger, simply say, 'Claws out!' Maybe carry some kind of satchel or put pockets in your clothing."

There was a pocket in the pants Lancelot was wearing now, and his long tunic hid the strange bulge in his pocket as Plagg found his new home. His all-black clothes reminded Lancelot of the duty ahead of them, and he took a few deep breaths to steel himself.

"You might want to give Plagg some cheese from the kitchen once this whole ordeal is over," Merlin whispered in Lancelot's ear. "You'll want him on your side when the action happens. Plagg can get in… moods." Lancelot cringed. He hadn't gotten off to a good start with the kwami, and now it could bite him in the end.

The two friends walked with each other down the twisting corridors of the castle, making their way to the throne room. As two of Arthur's best friends, they'd stand up with him as he spoke for his father and was crowned King of Camelot.

The two took their place at the front of the throne room, right behind the dais where Arthur would speak. Noblemen were taking their seats in the throne room, ready to honor the fallen king and warrior.

From one of the wings came Arthur. His golden hair shone in a ray of light from one of the windows above. He wasn't dressed in dark colors like the rest of the people in the room. Instead, he had on a yellow tunic with a long red cape. He began to speak, but Lancelot scanned the room several times looking for Guinevere.

After several scans of the room, he leaned over to Merlin. "Where's Gwen?"

Panic flickered in Merlin's eyes. "You, uh, didn't hear?" he stammered.

Lancelot narrowed his eyes at his friend. "Hear what, Merlin?"

Merlin fidgeted in his seat nervously. His mouth opened and closed like a fish struggling for air.

The crowd of nobles before them stood, and Merlin and Lancelot followed their lead. An old man in long white robes stepped out from the side of the room, carrying a pillow with a golden crown on it. Arthur kneeled where he stood, the funeral part of the ceremony evidently over.

"Do you, Arthur Pendragon, swear to serve your kingdom and put it before yourself?" The man began to speak.

"I swear," Arthur said in response.

"And do you swear to protect this kingdom and everyone in it?"

Arthur modded. "I swear."

"Then rise, Arthur Pendragon, son of Uther Pendragon," the man paused as Arthur stood. "King of Camelot."

The nobles cheered as their fate was sealed. Their future was safe in the hands of King Arthur.

"I have an announcement to make," Arthur said over the commotion in the hall. Instantly, the hall quieted, looking toward their new King with respect.

"I believe that no single man can run this kingdom," Arthur stated. His eyes flicked over to the side of the room. Lancelot fidgeted in his seat. "So I have asked a lovely woman to be my wife, and she has said yes."

Out of the doorway stepped a woman in a long purple dress, which nicely complemented her tanned skin. Lancelot felt his heart drop as his love walked toward Arthur.

Guinevere smiled as she took Arthur's hand. She said something, but Lancelot couldn't hear her over the roar in his ears. Merlin gave him a sympathetic look, turning sad eyes toward the happy couple.

Today really was a terrible day for Camelot.

 **Well there you go! The end of the beginning of a new era ! Sorry if grammar and spacing is weird in these ANs, FF is being weird.**

 **This story will obviously be a bit more of a romance, but you'll have to see how it goes!**

 **Review please!**


	16. The Arthurian Era Part 2

**What's up! School has kicked in hard again, but nevertheless I have returned.**

 **Real quick reply to a couple comments (thank you for 44!):**

 **Guest: I've actually got several of your ideas already on my list to write! i hope i can do them justice too!**

 **xelcybreanne: This is the funniest review I've ever gotten, thank you so much!**

Lancelot sat through the rest of the ceremony blankly before returning to his room, alone. Merlin had tried to say something to him, but he left before the words left the magician's mouth. He knew Merlin meant well, but he knew he'd just end up snapping at the poor boy. Merlin didn't deserve to pay the price for Guinevere's betrayal. Arthur hadn't necessarily done anything, either, as Lancelot and Guinevere's relationship was a secret one.

Lancelot went up to his room and closed the door, breathing heavily. He felt more angry and hurt than sad. He wished his friends had thought to tell him about this.

Plagg flew out of his tunic pocket. "You okay, kid?"

He laughed, the harsh sound cutting through the silence of the room. Of course the only person bothering to talk to him about this was a kwami that hated him. "Just great."

"Got any cheese?" Was the next question that came out of the kwami's mouth. That made more sense. Plagg had to pretend to be sensitive before asking for food. Of course he got stuck with the rude, gluttonous kwami.

Without looking, he waved a hand to a tray sitting beside his bed. A loud sigh echoed through the room. Lancelot laid down and closed his eyes, needing a few minutes to just be alone.

He'd only been laying down for a few minutes when a knock sounded at the door. "Who is it?" he called, his eyes still closed.

"It's, um… It's Guinevere." Her voice was timid, and he could almost picture her outside the door. She'd probably been waiting outside for at least a minute trying to gather the courage to talk to him. She wasn't necessarily a timid girl, but she could get intimidated by his more abrasive attitude sometimes.

"I know you don't want to talk to me," she said in a hushed tone. Lancelot couldn't help the scoff that slipped out. She winced and hesitated before speaking again. "I know I should have told you about this, but I didn't know how to. 'Hey Lancelot, our best friend wants me to marry him for the future of his kingdom, so we have to ditch our secret romance.'" She chuckled weakly, and he heard a faint thud as she slid down the door and sat on the ground.

"So I guess I know that this wasn't the right way to do it. But I didn't know what else to do." Lancelot looked away from the door, feeling slightly guilty, but unable to forgive any of them at the moment.

Plagg watched him with wide green eyes. He'd long finished the cheese and was now just watching. Lancelot didn't know what Plagg wanted him to do. The kwami gestures to the door in an encouraging manner, but Lancelot shook his head determinedly.

Guinevere sighed on the other side of the door. "I'm really sorry it had to be like this Lancelot. If it's any consolation, there's only one person I am in love with, and it's not Arthur."

Lancelot gritted his teeth and sat up, his legs taking him to the door of his room in three long strides. In one quick move he flung the door open. "If that's true, then why did you choose _him_ over _me?"_

Guinevere has tumbled back slightly, looking askew. Her mouth was a perfect picture of surprise. She clearly hadn't expected him to actually say anything to her. "Lancelot, I -"

"I loved you, Guinevere! How could you?" His voice was barely more than a broken whisper.

She stood quickly, wiping a tear off her face. He hadn't realized she'd been crying. "He has to prepare for his future as King, Lancelot. You know he's being targeted. If he marries me, and I'm one of his best friends so he already knows me, then we can produce," she hesitated, "an heir. I'm doing my duty to Camelot just like you are as a knight."

"Being a knight of Camelot and marrying someone besides the person you love are two very different things!" Lancelot protested. This whole thing was ridiculous. Arthur could find someone of the same status as him - a princess, not a maid like Guinevere. Lancelot worried that she wouldn't be respected as queen because of her status before the marriage.

Guinevere frowned at him, her hand coming up to wave wildly. "I love him too, Lancelot!"

Lancelot stepped back, feeling as if his heart was being crushed now. "You… you love him?" he whispered. He had never loved anyone besides her.

Tears began tracking down Guinevere's face. "Of course I do. He's my best friend, I love him as much as you do. My feelings for him aren't romantic, but that doesn't mean I love him any less. I'm doing my duty to Camelot, and I suggest you get over yourself and do the same."

He caught her arm before she could turn and leave. His other hand reached up and wiped a tear off her face. Guinevere smiled sadly. "So this is it?" he asked, his hand cradling her face gently.

Guinevere stood on her toes to press a gentle kiss to his cheek. "I'm sorry," she murmured before turning and leaving.

Lancelot stood in his doorway for a long time after she left, wishing she would come back.

o~O~o

In a dark room, candles shone dimly. Two women stood over a pool of water, chanting spells.

A beast rose from the depth of the water, conjured by the two sorceresses. Water poured off of its back as it reared its head. Two yellow eyes focused on the women that had called it, waiting for orders.

"Destroy Arthur Pendragon and anyone who stands in your way," commanded the dark-haired woman.

The creature disappeared down the tunnels under Camelot.

"It will work this time, Morgause," the woman said.

"I know it will, sister," the blonde woman said. "I know it will. While this distracts Arthur and the rest of Camelot, we can begin our real plan. Send the other creature in the meantime."

"I'm glad you came up with the idea for me to convince Arthur to get engaged to Guinevere. Lancelot looked so very angry at the ceremony, and it was so easy to convince Arthur to finally profess his feelings for Guinevere. Fools," she chuckled darkly.

"Sister, it will be all too easy to watch them splinter apart now. We bide our time. Our day will come."

o~O~o

Gwaine banged into Lancelot's room. "There's a griffin causing chaos in the city! I'm protecting Morgana in the throne room, Arthur's taking the rest of the knights with him to face it."

Lancelot jumped up, but Gwaine was already running down the hall. He threw open his closet and put on his chainmail armor on over his tunic. He grabbed his sword off the wall and threw it in the holder on his back. He ran over to the door and opened it.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Plagg asked, studying his paws. His green eyes were dull, showing that he was already over his miraculous holder.

"Uh," Lancelot ran back over to his wall. "My shield?" He grabbed that too.

Plagg stared blankly at his holder. "Really?"

Lancelot sighed. "I won't know unless you tell me." He leaned one shoulder against the door.

Plagg zoomed over to him, getting right up in Lancelot's face. "Me."

"Oh, right!" Lancelot held open a pocket in his pants. "Feel free to join me."

Plagg grabbed Lancelot's hand and hit his head on the ring. "For the love of everything holy, _just say claws out."_ With every word he spoke, he hit his head harder.

"Claws out?" Lancelot said, but the pitch of his voice rose at the end

The kwami was immediately sucked up into the ring, and Lancelot was covered in black smoke. When it cleared, he was in the traditional knight's clothing of Camelot. However, instead of the red and gold colors of Camelot, it was green and black. A mask covered his eyes, there was a hood with cat ears on his head, and there was a tail-like object attached to the back of his pants.

He looked overall ridiculous, but hopefully this weird get-up would end up paying off.

His steps were light as he ran toward the window and jumped out without thinking. Instinctually, he grabbed a baton he didn't even realize he'd had, and it extended in his hands, propelling him over houses as he went further into the city.

The rooftops of Camelot were hot from the sun, the autumnal colors warming the atmosphere. Chat Noir caught a glimpse of golden fields ready for harvest as he flew through the air. Fall was fading, but this was the prime of his favorite season. He landed on a rooftop not far from where the knights of Camelot were attacking the griffin. The half-eagle, half-lion was being fended off by the knights, but the griffin would occasionally swoop down and attack one particular blonde-haired knight leading the way.

From what he could see, Arthur was the only one being targeted by the griffin. Which wasn't a surprise, most people had it out for Arthur. There was only one griffin, however, and against Camelot's best, it would surely go down. A very unimpressive first beast for Chat Noir to protect Camelot from.

Percival, one of the knights, looked up to the rooftop and drew his bow. "Who are you?" he shouted gruffly. He aimed his arrow at Chat Noir, who knew that Percival was a great shot.

"Chat Noir," the name rolled off his tongue. Had Plagg told him that? He couldn't remember. He just knew it felt right.

"Are you friend or foe?" one of the other knights yelled up to him.

Once he knew he commanded enough attention, he extended his baton and leapt onto the back of the griffin, which bucked wildly under him, trying to throw him off. It screeched as Chat Noir yelled, "Cataclysm!" His hand turned black, and when he touched it to the griffin's back, it crumbled to dust underneath him. He fell through the air for several feet, landing in front of King Arthur in a crouch.

"Friend," Chat Noir announced as he stood, offering his hand to Arthur. He grinned broadly, impressed by how well it was going.

Percival leapt in front of Arthur, brandishing his sword. His arms were tense and his face stern. "Don't touch him!" he barked, keeping away from Chat's outstretched hand. Too late, he realized it might have looked like a poor assassination attempt on the new king. To any normal person watching the exchange, he had just disintegrated a griffin, and then offered the same hand that did that to King Arthur.

Chat was just beginning to panic when he caught a glimpse of Merlin out of the corner of his eye. The sorcerer gave him a slow nod, and Chat felt calmer. He held his hands up beside his face. "How can I prove my intentions to you?" he asked, realizing that the only way he could save himself was to appear as compliant as he could. He wasn't worried, though, he knew that he'd be able to prove himself.

The king stepped out from behind Percival. He cautiously held out his sword and looked to Chat Noir expectantly.

Despite the fact that he knew it wouldn't backfire on him, Chat Noir felt slightly nervous as he reached out and touched the sword. When the knights observed that he wasn't going to harm Arthur, they all relaxed, but their weapons stayed in plain sight.

King Arthur opened his mouth to say something, but Chat's ring beeped and showed two paws. He was almost out of time. "I have to go," he blurted, covering his ring protectively.

"Will you be back?" Arthur asked. He held out his hand as a peace offering, and Chat couldn't help but be conflicted. He knew he had offered the same thing earlier, but now he was realizing that this was the man that was going to marry the woman he loved. His warm brown eyes didn't hold any of the malice that Chat wanted to see. Arthur was completely sincere, and in that brief moment, Chat Noir couldn't help but hate him.

After a moment of hesitation, he grabbed Arthur's hand and shook it, his face betraying none of his inner turmoil. "Any time Camelot needs me," he swore before heading away from the castle to detransform. In an alley behind a strip of shops, his transformation wore off, and he was back in his regular knight of Camelot gear. Plagg flew out of the ring, his green eyes glinting slightly.

"Great job, kid," he said in a voice that held some bit of excitement, the most positive Lancelot had ever heard him. There was something resembling pride also in Plagg's voice, but it was quickly masked.

Lancelot began walking through back alleyways, quietly chatting with Plagg. "That was really great, actually. I know I didn't make a great first impression, but I think we can work as a team from now on and do great things for Camelot. Just think, Chat Noir will be known forever as the person who helped King Arthur protect his kingdom from the forces of evil!" He grew more excited as he went on, fantasizing about how he would go down in history and be forever idolized.

Plagg chuckled uncomfortably, his gaze darting to the houses they were walking past. "Actually, it probably won't be just you…"

"What does that mean?" Lancelot exclaimed loudly, forgetting that he was still in a public area. A young maiden was doing laundry behind her home, and she looked up to give him a startled glance. She kept doing her laundry but sent him wary glances until he passed her and turned the corner.

They were close enough to the castle now that Lancelot had to stop talking to the kwami in fear of someone thinking he was crazy and just talking to himself. When he arrived in the courtyard, a younger knight with black hair ran over to him excitedly. Mordred, around 17, was the newest knight of the round table, and his mannerisms often reflected that.

"Lancelot, did you see? We were all fighting the griffin, and then a guy in black and green showed up and said he was Chat Noir. Isn't that crazy?" Mordred was spouting off words, faster and more excited than Lancelot had ever heard him before. The boy was normally stoic for a teenager, and he'd never seen him this animated.

Lancelot threw his arm around Mordred's shoulder and walked with him into the castle, listening to the boy describe what had happened with the griffin. Lancelot couldn't help but feel proud of himself and what he did as he listened to Mordred go on and on about how great Chat Noir was. It may have been Lancelot's secret identity, but it boosted his ego regardless.

Morgana rushed out of the throne room, her raven black hair flying behind her. Gwaine trailed along behind her, significantly less frantic. Sometimes Lancelot wondered if Gwaine was worried about anything other than alcohol and women. If he was, it didn't show.

Everyone watched as Morgana smothered Mordred in a hug. Lancelot held back an eye roll. If she was going to react like this to every fight Mordred was in, this was going to be a long war.

Morgana had raised Mordred since he was a young boy. No one knew where he came from or what his background was, but he immediately latched onto Morgana when he came to Camelot.

"Lancelot!" Arthur's voice came from behind him. His red cloak was slightly shredded from the claws of the griffin. His mouth was curved down into a frown, and Lancelot's jovial grin fell. "Where were you? You didn't show up." Arthur began to scold him, and Lancelot's eyes glazed over.

He could tell Arthur everything. Right here, right now in front of everyone, and he'd be hailed as a hero as he continued to save Camelot. Maybe he'd get to win Guinevere back in an epic duel against Arthur. He'd win and Guinevere would come back to him, and their group would be restored. Lancelot the knight, with Guinevere the maid at his side, and Arthur the king with Merlin the apprentice all together, an unstoppable force against anyone coming against them. But Guinevere had sided with Arthur, driving a rift between him and Lancelot. Merlin would try to stay neutral, but that would only work for so long.

"Well?" Arthur's sharp voice cut into his thoughts, making Lancelot flinch. "What do you have to say for yourself?" His voice was stern, his arms crossed over his chest. Lancelot knew that Arthur didn't particularly like calling out his knights publically.

Lancelot couldn't properly defend himself this time. "I just couldn't get out there in time," he said lamely.

Arthur's jaw clenched. He was silent for a long moment. "Don't do it again," he said, already turning and leaving.

o~O~o

"Morgause, what's the plan?"

A low chuckle reverberated through the dark chamber. "The measly little griffin did spectacularly. It managed to get a superhero out of hiding," she sneered at her sister.

"Do you think there are any others?"

Morgause scoffed and wrinkled her nose. "Well that's what our next step of the plan will find out. Where there's one hero, there's often another. You've done well manipulating Arthur, and everyone still sees you as Morgana the elegant, generous, harmless little King's Ward."

Morgana flashed her sister an evil grin, "Well it's not too difficult to wrap them all around my finger. As long as no one finds out, our plan will be executed flawlessly. Keep throwing foes at Arthur to distract him while we finish creating our army."

o~O~o

Guinevere returned to her room after a long, taxing day. Between Lancelot and Arthur and the griffin, she'd been on a roller coaster of emotions.

"What's this?" She muttered to herself, looking at a small, intricately carved wooden box on her bed. There was a note beside it signed with an M. It must've been from Merlin.

She scrunched her brow and picked up the box, which easily fit in the palm of her hand. The lid opened, and pink light flashed through the room.

"Hi, I'm Tikki!"

 **Now we're adding in another miraculous holder! Next chapter will center more around Guinevere, so we'll see her point of view! Please read and review!**


	17. The Arthurian Era Part 3

**I am SO sorry it has been so long! This chapter gave me lots of trouble, but I have a better idea of how I want this era to play out. Read on!**

"Guinevere was a Ladybug?" Marinette asked Tikki after patrol one night. She lounged on her chaise, ready to hear another story about past Ladybugs.

Tikki landed beside her, cheerily chomping on a cookie. In between bites, she said, "She was! She and Lancelot made the Ladybug and Chat Noir duo in Camelot. Their job was to protect King Arthur and secure the future of Camelot."

Marinette reclined so she was staring at the ceiling, ready to visualize the story she knew was coming. "What happened?"

Tikki smiled quietly. "A lot."

o~O~o

Queen Guinevere sat to the left of her husband, King Arthur. After the wedding, they were meeting with all of the knights of the round table, the core members of the knights of Camelot. On Arthur's right was Lancelot, since he was the second best swordsman. Merlin sat on Guinevere's left because Arthur trusted his opinion.

Her hands fiddled with the earrings she had in her ears. Simple silver studs that no one would look twice at - if she weren't noble now. As the Queen, she was expected to be extravagant. Nothing about the nobility of Camelot was exactly _subtle._ And while her earrings would go unnoticed as a maid, they wouldn't do that anymore. This gift that she had been given was certainly appreciated, and she was glad that Merlin had decided to trust her with the miraculous and all of the power that came with it. The only thing was-

"Guinevere?" Came her husband's voice from her right. She suddenly realized that she hadn't been paying attention in the slightest, and now everyone was staring at her.

She flushed softly, squeezing her hands in her lap. "Yes, Arthur?" she asked, her eyes briefly flickering to Lancelot's, and her nails dug into her hands. There was no emotion in them.

Forcing down the hurt, she looked back at Arthur, whose features had softened slightly. For a brief moment, he wasn't King Arthur anymore. He was just Arthur, a boy trying to find his way in the world after the death of his father. "I was wondering if you would help Gaius in the infirmary when the time for battle comes," he said.

Though she knew she could never do that, Guinevere pasted a doting smile on her face and nodded. "Of course, my King."

She pretended like she couldn't see Lancelot flinch out of the corner of her eye.

Arthur gave her a nod, turning back into King Arthur, and addressed the rest of the Round Table. "I need to give some of you specific duties. Gwaine, you and Mordred are in charge of training the new knights. Make sure you're teaching them to utilize shields, not just swords."

Gwaine and Mordred nodded at their King. Guinevere knew that Mordred and Gwaine had been made a team to add a positive atmosphere to the training grounds, as well as giving Mordred a mentor as well as a position to train him further. It was very well thought out, but she expected nothing less from Arthur.

"Percival, you'll be running drills with the veteran knights. Think up new strategies, be creative. Remember we won't be going against regular knights, we're going against magic. Prepare for that," Arthur challenged Percival, one of his largest knights. He was a force to be reckoned with, and had a brain too.

Unnoticeable to anyone else, Arthur hesitated as he came to look at Lancelot. It was a pause barely more than a second before he continued. "Lancelot, you… are to journey through the kingdom at night, watching for signs of deceit and treachery. Spend your days accordingly to prepare for that."

Lancelot's jaw tightened before he nodded at his king, the picture of a perfect knight. "As you wish, my Lord."

"Lastly, we have two new "heroes" that seem to be fighting with us." Guinevere tensed, knowing he was talking about Ladybug and Chat Noir. Ladybug had shown up in a fight with another magical creature about a week ago, and they had fought together before disappearing again. Since then, though, the attacks had almost ceased. Arthur was clearly concerned about that.

"I want someone to figure out who they are. If you find out, return to me and you'll be rewarded. They may appear to be on our side, but that doesn't mean I trust them."

The meeting ended soon after that, the rest of the Knights given more mundane tasks. More training, some put into special teams, that sort of thing. Guinevere was relieved when the meeting ended, and she headed straight back to her room. She didn't share a space with Arthur, even though they were married now.

"Guinevere?" a quiet voice asked from her pocket when she entered her room. Tikki poked her head out and looked up at Guinevere. "Is everything okay?"

Guinevere sighed quietly. Getting the miraculous was just another complication in her already complicated life. "Just stressed," she smiled gently. It wouldn't be fair to Tikki to blame the miraculous.

Tikki gave her a somewhat disbelieving stare, but didn't push it.

For hours, Guinevere sat in her room, reading quietly. She had no other duties, becoming Queen had relieved her of many of them. With hard times ahead, she wanted a little time to herself first.

The candlelight was growing dim when she finally put down the book and rubbed her eyes. When she opened them again, there was a dark flash outside her window, and she walked over to it. She heard a quick curse and a dark blue fell onto her balcony with a crash as he knocked over the chair she had.

A handsome man with black knight chainmail, and mask, and glowing green eyes looked up at her, his eyes wide. "Chat Noir?" she whispered, her mouth slightly agape.

Gwaine knocked on her door, hearing the commotion. "My Lady? Are you alright?" Her door was locked, so he couldn't get in.

Chat Noir's eyes pleaded with her to not give him away, and she found herself trusting him. "I'm okay!" Guinevere called toward the door, never turning her back on the stranger in cat ears. "Just knocked a book off my nightstand!"

Gwaine didn't seem to completely buy the lie. "Must've been a heavy book, my Lady," he said disbelievingly.

She forced a laugh, trying to seem casual. "It's some of Merlin's research. I'm fine, Gwaine." She caught a glimpse of Chat Noir righting the chair beside him.

A few moments passed, but she heard his boots clunk down the hallway away from her door. Breathing a sigh of relief, she focused completely on Chat Noir. He had sat up, and was looking at her with those big green eyes, which almost unnerved her.

"Why are you here?" Guinevere asked bluntly, exuding a queenly command in her words. "There's no attack. You have no business being on my balcony."

Chat Noir rested his arm on his propped up leg, looking way too casual in the situation. He raised an eyebrow at her, and she felt her temper flare. "Well, _my Lady,_ I wasnt _on_ your balcony until I fell on it, which was a complete accident. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to leave." He stood up, and she leapt forward and grabbed his armor before he could go anywhere.

Her eyes connected with his, and she felt a flash of familiarity that quickly disappeared. "Who… who _are_ you?" she breathed.

His eyes hardened, but he didn't move away. "Frankly, I don't believe that's any of your business. The only name of mine that you need to know is Chat Noir."

"Why should I - we trust you, then?" She blamed her curiosity on the fact that she was Ladybug, and she hardly knew anything about Chat Noir, other than he _appeared_ to be good.

He moved toward her, and she nervously moved back until her knees hit the chair and she sat down with an "Oof!" Chat Noir's hand slammed onto the stone railing of her balcony beside her head, and her confidence faltered.

He stared at her for a long moment without saying anything. Guinevere didn't say a word, her tongue unable to work. His dark hair fell in front of his eyes as he whispered, "My job is to protect you - to protect Camelot, and I'll fulfill that role to my best ability." He moved backward, his voice darkening, "So I'd suggest leaving my identity alone."

She stood up, and he extended his baton, leaping away. "Then stay off my balcony!" She called, hearing no response.

Huffing, she turned back into her room and closed the balcony door behind her. She laid down in bed, tossing and turning for a long while before falling asleep, two luminous green eyes still haunting her.

o~O~o

Two blasts of magic whizzed by Ladybug's face, and she was glad her suit was light enough to allow her to move away quickly enough. Her suit mirrored Chat Noir's, but her knight outfit had a more distinctly feminine vibe. She discovered that her boots were _extremely_ comfortable, and she wished she had a pair in her everyday wardrobe.

Ladybug whipped her yo-yo around one of the magicians that had attacked her, knocking him to the ground roughly enough to hit his head. The man fell unconscious soon after, and another thud told Ladybug that Chat Noir had taken care of the other one.

He landed beside her, eyes still fixed on the small band of druids below them. "This is an odd attack, I can't figure out what their purpose is. They only brought about fifteen people, and they _know_ Camelot can overpower that easily. Why, then?" He looked to her to see if she had any ideas to contribute.

After clearing her throat, Ladybug said, "Is it a distraction?"

Chat Noir shook his head. "No one else has detected anything wrong in the rest of the kingdom. Their clothes are mostly stitched together scraps. They look like just an outcast band of druids that wanted to overthrow Camelot again to be able to use magic. We just take them down, throw them in the dungeons, and we should be good." Without another word, he leapt off the roof and back into the fight, easily taking out another several druids.

Ladybug kept watching for a few more moments. "This looks wrong, though…" she muttered to herself. But if Chat Noir was confident, then so was she, and she jumped into battle behind him, her mind still caught up in her worries.

o~O~o

Late one night, a few days after the druid attack, Guinevere was hurrying through one of the streets behind her house, a sack of personal belongings clutched in her grasp. Her hair was obscured by a cloak in hopes to keep her safe. She used to believe Camelot was safe, but she wasn't so sure anymore, and as the Queen of Camelot, she shouldn't be out this late alone. But she needed something from her old home, and Arthur would hardly let her out of his sight anymore.

She squinted into the darkness. There weren't enough candles lit in windows to light the way for her anymore, but she could probably make the trek back from her old home to the palace blindfolded - which is certainly what it felt like. It also gave her a chance to be alone in her thoughts.

Almost all of the druid band were in the dungeons - Arthur had wanted them alive, and therefore most of them had been spared. A few hadn't been so lucky, but there was still a group of about ten. They'd been very compliant, all up until Arthur had asked them why they had come, or who was telling them things. They'd clammed up instantly.

Guinevere still didn't trust them at all. She hadn't figured out what was so wrong about the situation, but that didn't make her any less wary. She peeked around a corner and scurried across the street, the castle looming closer as she moved.

A hand grabbed her shoulder and whirled her around, pinning her back against the wall of a house. Guinevere gasped in shock, the person having caught her off guard enough to wrench the bag from her hands and run off. Without another thought, she ran after, glad she'd worn a flat pair of shoes.

To her surprise, she caught up with the thief, but before she could try to take back her satchel, another dark blur darted in front of her. She flinched back, but the shadow wasn't after her - it was after her attacker.

She gasped as she caught a glimpse of glowing green eyes and realized that _Chat Noir_ was coming to her rescue. What on earth was he doing out so late?

The petty thief was quickly taken care of, and Chat Noir turned back to her, a cocky smirk on his face. "Your bag, My Lady," he bowed, holding out the bag for her to take.

Without meaning to, she blushed, hoping he couldn't see in the darkness. "Thank you, Chat Noir. What brings you out so late at night?" Guinevere took her bag back from him, looking quickly inside to see if any of her belongings had fallen out. To her relief, everything was there.

"I patrol the city at night, keep an eye out for potential dangers," he answered smoothly. "But I think the real question is, what was so important that the Queen of Camelot went out at night by herself to get it back." Chat Noir stepped closer, and Guinevere looked up at him, her heart skipping a beat.

"I, um… I had to get some… undergarments…" she lied weakly. It was a terribly awkward thing to tell him, but it was the best she could do to protect the small box cradled among clothes.

Chat Noir raised an eyebrow in disbelief but didn't push the topic. Instead, he looked away briefly, viewing the castle. When he turned back around, his smirk had reappeared. "Well, My Lady, I might as well escort you back to your room."

She took a step back, shaking her head. "Chat Noir, you've done plenty. I can't thank you enough, but this really isn't necessary-" Guinevere let out a small shriek as he leapt forward and scooped her into his arms.

Though she'd bounded across rooftops several times, this was _much_ different. She instinctively threw her arms around his neck and clung tightly. After a couple close calls, she buried her face in his neck so she didn't have to watch.

Wind whipped past her as she felt him going higher and higher, presumably to her balcony. Now that she thought about it, she probably should look out and help him find her balcony again, but he didn't ask now. He must've remembered from when he fell on her balcony.

Several long minutes later, Chat Noir was putting her body into one of the chairs on her balcony, and she sighed with relief as she felt a firm surface below her. She opened her eyes to see Chat Noir sitting across the table from her. His arms were crossed, and he relaxed back into his seat.

Guinevere scowled at him. "I could've made it back up here myself," she protested, knowing it was far too late to do anything about.

That smirk crawled back on his face. "Of course, My Lady. But I couldn't risk anything happening to you all by yourself again. You must be worried about all the trouble I went through, and I thank you for your consideration." Chat Noir placed a comforting hand on hers as if trying to thank her, but she knew he was just being a prat.

She gritted her teeth. "That's not what I was trying to say," she muttered, looking away from him.

He chuckled, and she wanted to punch him. "I think the phrase you're looking for is 'thank you,'" he said.

Guinevere took in a deep breath. "Thank you," she managed to get out, looking back at him as she did.

Chat Noir held a gloved hand to his chest in mock surprise. "Did you just _thank_ me, My Lady? I, your knight in shining armor-"

"Not that shiny," she commented under her breath, but he continued on, ignoring her.

He stood up as he spoke, "-have received the honor of being thanked by none other than Queen Guinevere. I will do my absolute best to prove that I deserve this, and you will not be sorry," he swore, and then he bowed.

For some reason, she decided to play along. "Sir Chat Noir, I hold you to this promise. My safety and the protection of Camelot will be your priorities."

He jumped up and beamed. "Thank you for deciding to trust me, My Lady." Chat Noir gave her a chaste kiss on the cheek before backing away quickly.

Guinevere flushed. "Now, get off my balcony!" She motioned for him to leave, much like the last time he had come to visit.

His quiet laughter echoed in the night as he bounded away, disappearing quickly into the dark city of Camelot. Breathing a sigh of relief, Guinevere entered her room and closed the balcony doors behind her. She pulled a small wooden box out of her bag.

As she opened it, there was a flash of pink light, and a very distressed Tikki appeared before her. "Guinevere! What happened-?"

"I'm so sorry, Tikki. I didn't mean to leave you back at my house, and I thought for sure I wouldn't be in danger in Camelot. I thought it would be too obvious for a superheroine to jump into my balcony and not come out, otherwise I probably would've transformed back at my house. I needed to wear these earrings for Arthur's dinner, though," she rambled, taking out the much more elaborate earrings dangling from her ears and exchanging them for Ladybug's silver studs. "He's been asking why I haven't worn them, and I figured at least at my house they wouldn't get moved or anything by a maid, but then the dinner lasted so late, and I-" Emotions high, Guinevere burst into tears, hiding her face in her hands in embarrassment.

Tikki flew up to her and wrapped her tiny hands around one of Guinevere's hands. Sniffling, she looked up into the kind and sympathetic face of Tikki. "You did what any true Ladybug would do: you got it back. And, of course, Chat Noir was there for you. Even when he doesn't know it, he's still drawn to helping you. He'll always have your back, as long as you have his in return."

Guinevere blinked several times to clear the tears from her eyes. "Thank you, Tikki," she whispered, giving the kwami a hug.

o~O~o

"Morgause, is the army ready?" A smooth, silky voice muttered in the darkness.

"That depends, are you ready to betray the kingdom?" Morgause said in response, her question aimed at both figures before her.

The woman and young man looked at each other before nodding. "We are."

Morgause's pretty lips curled up into a cruel smile. "They'll arrive in less than a week. Be ready."

 **I hope my long absence has still produced something great! Please review!**


	18. The Arthurian Era Part 4

**So funny story: the chapter you're about to read was originally the first chapter of this story. My friend told me it was too confusing and not a good intro so I saved it until now. it's on the shorter side because I had to cut out some exposition stuff that I'd already been over. But it's early! So here's the next installment of the story!**

The moon rose over a peaceful Camelot, the waning crescent moon providing little light for those below. The forest surround Camelot was shrouded in darkness. Stars shimmered in the night sky, but even those couldn't penetrate the dark aura of the forest.

The kingdom of Camelot itself flickered with light from torches as guards walked through the city, searching for any mishaps. Candlelight could be seen from a few windows, but tonight it was quiet. King Arthur slept soundly in his bedchambers. It was a good thing his wife still didn't share his bed with him, or even the same room. Because Queen Guinevere was no longer in the castle.

If he woke up and knew this, he would call for guards to search the whole kingdom. Surely she was in danger from whatever plagued Camelot. Maybe kidnapped or killed.

But the king kept sleeping. His wife wasn't in danger, anyway.

Instead, she was in the woods, laughing. To anyone that knew her past with her companion, they would be shocked to see how well they got along now. A few days had done so much for them, and there was an odd sense of familiarity that neither of them wanted to comment on.

Her companion. She only knew him as Chat Noir, but that hadn't stopped her from falling in love with him. Yes, love. She'd admitted it to him. Things were going too fast, but it didn't feel like they were rushing things.

The only problem was, she didn't know what he looked like.

Sure, she knew he had black hair and his skin was well tanned. But his eyes were a luminous, unearthly green. His face was hidden by a mask. He wore a black suit of armor, complete with chain mail when he fought. He'd taken that off, leaving the green tunic and black pants on.

Guinevere fingered the blindfold covering her eyes. She wished she could know who he was, but Chat insisted that wasn't possible. In Camelot, you never knew who was working against you. Danger lurked around every corner, and if she knew who Chat Noir was, she'd be in a lot more danger.

At least, that's what he kept on telling her. If only he knew that she was Ladybug, his partner in crime. Well, not crime. They teamed up together to save Camelot on occasion. If anyone was going after King Arthur, they were the ones to stop them.

"Princess, I-" Chat Noir began, letting a hand caress her face.

Guinevere cut him off with a poke on the nose. At least, she hoped it was his nose. "That's Queen to you, Chat."

He captured her hand in his and lifted it to his lips, pressing a tender kiss to the back of her hand. "I apologize, My Lady," he whispered. Guinevere shivered. "Is there any way I could make it up to you?"

Her face fell. She leaned away and felt for the tree she knew was behind her, choosing to rest against that instead. She knew what would make her happy, but it wasn't possible. Even though she couldn't see his face, she knew he had lost his smile too.

"Chat, you know what I want." The tree behind her provided support. "I want to know who you are. Who is my knight in shining armor?"

Her hands searched for him again, but he must've moved out of the way. Cold air met her, so she drew her hands back.

Chat Noir signed. "It's not that easy, Guinevere."

"Chat, I know that we know each other in real life. What's the harm in you-"

"No, Guinevere," he barked. In the quiet forest, it seemed to echo. He sighed again she heard leaves rustling as he moved around. "I'm closer than you might realize. If you knew who I was, things might change. What if we met up and Arthur found out? You're his wife, even if you love me. Knowing who I am holds nothing good for either of us. We can't."

Wind whistled through the trees as Guinevere sucked in a deep breath. She crawled toward the sound of his voice. His hands met hers and she sat beside him and curled her body into his. Her dress was surely ruined by dirt and leaves, but she didn't care. She had a million dresses now.

"I love you," she murmured into his chest. Guinevere listened to the sound of his heartbeat and let it comfort her.

His arms wrapped around her body, and one began rubbing her back soothingly. "I love you too, Guinevere." Chat planted a kiss on the top of her head. "I'm sorry I cant treat you how you should be treated."

She paused. "What do you mean?"

One of his hands tugged on a curl framing her face. It bounced back into position when he let go. "I mean, my Lady, that you shouldn't have to sneak around with me. This isn't a very honorable action for a Knight."

"Nay," she agreed, "but I don't mind. It's an adventure, Chat. One we get to share together."

Chat laughed dryly. "An adventure, my Lady? I'd think you have had enough of those."

She froze for a minute. Did he know she was Ladybug?

"You know," he bumped her shoulder teasingly, "with all those attacks on Arthur, you've got a lot on your hands. You're a target now, too."

Guinevere let out a silent sigh of relief. She'd been in plenty of danger before. Especially since she'd become Arthur's wife. "Right - right! I'm looking for an adventure with a little less, uh... danger."

His arms tightened around her. "I'm only glad that you seem to be so good at hiding from danger."

"Am I sensing a bit of overprotectiveness, Chat?" Guinevere laughed tightly. The only reason she escaped danger so well was because she simply turned into Ladybug. It was easy to escape when you weren't yourself.

To her surprise, he didn't laugh. Instead, his voice was completely serious as he said, "It's not overprotective if I care about you."

The bushes rustled beside them, but as Lancelot pressed a tender kiss to Guinevere's lips, neither of them noticed.

o~O~o

After dropping Gwen off outside her and Arthur's room, Chat Noir returned to his knight's quarters. Much smaller than the King's, his room held a bed half the size of the room and a dresser for his clothes, as well as a small nightstand. It was plain and simple, especially since most of the things he needed as a knight were held in the armory.

"Plagg, claws in," he sighed, slouching on the bed.

The black cat swirled out of the silver ring on his left hand. "Lancelot, what're you doing?"

The knight chuckled and grabbed cheese from the nightstand. "Sorry it's only cheddar today, Plagg. No Camembert for you."

Plagg greedily snatched the cheese out of Lancelot's outstretched hand. Lancelot blinked, and it was gone. The kwami seemed to have a bottomless stomach.

Lancelot lay his head down on the pillow, stuffed with straw. He rubbed his face with his hands and sighed.

"Kid-" Plagg began, but Lancelot laughed and cut him off.

"Plagg, I'm 23. I haven't been a kid in years," he insisted, even though they'd had this conversation countless times.

Plagg turned his back to Lancelot, who began mouthing what he knew Plagg would say. "I'm thousands of years old. Everyone's a kid to me," he whirled suddenly, catching Lancelot in the act of mocking him. "Especially you," he sneered jokingly as Lancelot blushed.

"Sorry, sorry," Lancelot said, waving a hand in the air.

"But seriously. You're sneaking around with your King's wife. This isn't going to end well for you, Lancelot. Don't be an idiot." If he hadn't known any better, Lancelot would think that Plagg was angry. But no. Despite his tough exterior, under the layers of cheese and laziness, Plagg was really just an overprotective mom.

"Relax, Plagg," Lancelot insisted. "I do dumb things all the time, and I still turn out fine! Remember last week when I raced Gwaine on horseback through the castle? The only person that caught us was Merlin, and he'd never turn us in-"

"Because Merlin has his own secrets, Lancelot!" Plagg exploded. The kwami became a black blur as he zipped around the room. "He can't babysit you all the time. He won't turn you in because he gave you your miraculous! He has magic! His own secrets would kill him, like this one could if someone found out!" He finished yelling right in front of Lancelot's face. His green eyes glimmered with anger, which Lancelot hadn't expected.

He sat up, leaning back against the wall now. "Look, Plagg, I can't just let her go. I loved her before Arthur decided to marry her, and I know she felt the same way. Isn't there someone you've ever loved?" he begged, pleading with his eyes.

Plagg's eyes softened. "Of course, kid. I know more than you know."

That was a reaction he didn't expect. Who was there for the kwami to remember like that? A previous holder?

He opened his mouth to ask, but Plagg cut him off. "I'm tethered to my job like she is to hers. We're yin and yang, the light and the dark. We were created together by the first miraculous duo, and we've hardly been together since."

Lancelot sat up straight. "But if I find out who Ladybug is, then can't you be together? Since we wouldn't need to keep our identities a secret any longer?"

Plagg settled down on the nightstand, a sure sign that he was almost done talking for the night. "You've got a big heart for a knight, Lancelot. I hope I don't have to see anyone stomp on it."

o~O~o

Early the next morning, a traveler approached the gates of Camelot. They were clad in dark furs and rode an elegant black horse. Whoever they were, they were welcomed into the castle by Morgana. She claimed that they were close personal friends.

Morgana escorted the stranger up to her room. The stranger took off the elegant furs to reveal a woman with pale skin and blonde hair. She looked like the lighter version of Morgana, who had dark tresses. Other than that, they could have been sisters. Of course, no one else could know that.

"Morgause, what have you seen?" Morgana asked urgently, helping her sister out of the heavy coats she'd used to disguise herself.

"I have no news of our allies from the north, but on my way here I found something very interesting." A cruel smile graced her lips, and Morgana found herself echoing that look.

She laughed as if they were telling jokes to catch up, not plotting against King Arthur. "Oh sister, that might be even better. What's the news?" She sat down primly on the bed, and Morgause took a seat on the chaise nearby.

"I believe you remember Guinevere, your old servant?" That sparked fury in Morgana. Of course she remembered that little witch.

This time when she laughed, it was more forced. "Of course I remember her! How could I forget the witch that helped Arthur become brave and noble? When he decided to marry her, all my chances at becoming Queen were gone."

Morgause placed a comforting hand on Morgana's arm. "Sister, I know your heart hurts by this betrayal. I know you are the deceased Uther's oldest child, even though he never came out and said it."

Morgana ground her teeth, her lovely face twisting into a cold sneer. Uther had never told her that he was her father. Morgause had told her that. So she'd gotten Uther killed. A little mishap with a healing sorcerer was enough to harden Arthur's heart against magic for good. And that turned every magic-user against him, sending more and more people to Morgana's side of this secret war. Arthur still didn't know that his biggest rival was still living under the same roof as him.

"Guinevere is having secret relations with Lancelot," Morgause whispered conspiratorially.

That caught Morgana's attention.

"Our little Gwen isn't so faithful, is she?" It was a rhetorical question, of course. The romance of the century wasn't real after all. That was enough to give Morgana an ingenious plan to further tear apart Arthur.

"You're planning something, sister," Morgause had that wicked grin again.

"I always am," Morgana said, snapping her fingers to summon a pencil and pad of paper.

Magic was so hard to hide in Camelot, yet Morgana did it effortlessly. She was under the protection of the King, though, and that helped. First King Uther, and now King Arthur.

Morgause smiled. "You're improving, sister. Soon we can take over Camelot with our magic combined!"

A noise crashed outside Morgana's door. She dropped the pen and paper on the bed and in two long strides, she was at the door. She flung it open as her sister began throwing on her furs.

"I must be going, Morgana," her sister claimed as she slipped out into the empty hallway. "I'll keep you updated."

Morgana's cold blue eyes scanned the hallway. She had a feeling someone was there, but not who. "And I, you," she promised.

She found the source of the noise. A table was in the middle of the hallway, and it held one of her favorite vases. That vase was now shattered on the ground, spilling water and roses onto the floor. She ground her teeth and returned to her room, slamming the door behind her.

Morgause disappeared down the stairs, covered in her furs once more. She was unrecognizable, but the spy already knew who she was.

A head of dark hair peeked around the corner carefully. He quietly cursed his clumsiness and his eyes flashed gold as he repaired the vase with his magic. The lovely blue vase was filled with water and flowers again, and no one would know what happened. Morgana would be suspicious, but then again, she always was.

At least she only knew him as stupid Merlin.

 **There ya go! Stuff is gonna get REAL next chapter - do you know what Morgana and Morgause are up to?**

 **This story is at 48 reviews! Could we get to 50 by next chapter? Please review!**


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